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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29805774">Percy Jackson and Time Traveling and The Battle of The Labyrinth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlooBlu/pseuds/BlooBlu'>BlooBlu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson: Time Traveler [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/M, Fuck it you know the deal by now, I'm not going to tag everything in here, Theres blood theres pain theres emotional trauma, Time Travel, You wouldnt be reading this if you werent down for that by now</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:07:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>85,638</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29805774</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlooBlu/pseuds/BlooBlu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Paaaart four. Haha. Haha. Is this hell? Am I in hell? Why did this take so long? What is wrong with me. My god(s).</p><p> </p><p>Edit: oh hey I made a tumblr by the way. In case you wanna spam me with lore questions I don't have the answer to on that hellsite.<br/>http://blooblu.tumblr.com</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase &amp; Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo &amp; Percy Jackson, Percy Jackson &amp; Grover Underwood, Percy Jackson &amp; Tyson, Rachel Elizabeth Dare &amp; Percy Jackson, They're all best friends fight me</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson: Time Traveler [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965973</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For those of you who have been wondering "what's gonna happen to Percy with his arm??" well here you go, lmao. Listen, I could go on and say that none of the gods offered to help because "oh, he sacrificed it to a Quest, you can't just get that back" but really this is what I've been planning almost from the start. I wanted to give him Cool Robot Arm. Fight me I can do what I want this is MY shitty fanfic.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Percy never really cared for school. It was hard to sit down and force himself to read anything that wasn’t written in Greek or Latin, he didn’t get along with regular kids much, and he’s pretty sure his brain just isn’t wired for math. Even as an adult he’d barely struggled through four years of college with Annabeth because she had been so passionate about it, and it seemed like he could at least give her a boyfriend who looked semi-competent on paper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So it was safe to say that the one place he didn’t want to be during summer break was in his mom’s car, sitting in front of Goode High School on East 81st. But he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>kinda have to be here - there were important people (some not human) at Goode right now that he needed to meet up with. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sighing, Percy adjusted his gloves for probably the millionth time that morning. He wasn’t exactly… self-conscious, per se, he was just used to trying to blend into the crowd as much as possible. And a shiny, celestial-bronze prosthetic was about as conspicuous as he could get in broad daylight. So, he wore a pair of plain black cycling gloves and a long-sleeved shirt despite the weather to keep it concealed. It was pretty cool, though. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite all of his mother’s worries and scrambling to find the best hospitals and clinics for him, Percy had known pretty much from the start who he wanted to entrust this to. Will Solace was a bit young yet, at camp but barely older than Nico right now, but there was more than one capable healer and mechanic around. Honestly, he was surprised there hadn’t been more tears when he asked Tyson to help him, but his brother had been all steely resolve that one only saw when he was laser-focused on a project or in the middle of a particularly dangerous fight. Chiron was happy to oversee the more... biological bits, as he had been there to help make sure the quick patch-up he’d gotten was tended to properly after the Quest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was, objectively, a very well made thing, even if it looked a lot more delicate than it was. Smooth metal shaped to the size of his other arm, (it would need adjustments as he grew, Tyson said,) built sturdily but with more lightweight materials on the inside so it wouldn’t be too heavy. There was an engraved design along the forearm, that he’d happily approved of when his brother proposed it. It was a pod of hippocampi, chasing each other in circles around his arm, looking completely content and happy. (If one of them was modeled after Rainbow, well that wasn’t really anyone else's business, and he couldn’t complain.) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Honestly, the real magic of it all was how well it moved and responded how he wanted; it felt good, and was very fun to punch things with once he’d gotten the movement down. He could only feel pressure with it, but it was already more than he could’ve hoped. Even as he ran his other hand over the cool metal under his sleeve, there was no warmth to be felt… but he was adjusting. Really, he’d get used to all of the little differences that made him flinch every now and then, or kept him up even later that usual. He would. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just relax,” Sally said from the seat next to him. They were still sitting in the parking lot, both lost in thought until she’d chosen to break the silence. “It’s only an orientation tour. And remember, dear, this is Paul’s school. So try not to, … you know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Set things on fire? Blow it up? Get chased by monsters?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she smiled weakly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah right, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Like that could ever happen. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll try my best,” is what he said, with a joking smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mom still looked anxious about something. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...You haven’t told him about me, have you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought it’d be best to wait,” she admitted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t really his business what his mom told her boyfriend or not, and especially a secret like ‘my son’s father is actually the God of the Sea,’ wasn’t something to be dropped lightly. And to be honest, he had no idea how Paul might react to it at the moment; sure he’d proven himself time and time again, but that was in an entirely different time. If Percy rushed things between them, who knows what he might mess up? He was still a bit stuck on Estelle, (namely how to make sure she still </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened,</span>
  </em>
  <span>) and it was better not to rock the boat. The more naturally things went, the easier everything would be. Right? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure orientation will be fine, Percy. It’s only one morning,” his mom finally said,trying to reassure him once more. Or maybe she was just trying to change the subject. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great. I’ll try not to get expelled before the school year even starts, I promise.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, think positive. Tomorrow you’re off to camp! After orientation, you’ve got your date-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not a date,” Percy shot back, not for the first time. Not even the first time that morning, in fact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s coming all the way from camp to meet you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to the movies.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just the two of you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still not a date, we said we’re going as friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She held up her hands in surrender, but he could see she was trying hard not to smile. “You’d better get inside, dear. I’ll see you tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, see you tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Objectively, things were going well so far. He hadn’t been cornered by any Empousa disguised as overzealous cheerleaders, and he hadn’t destroyed any band rooms. A whole ten minutes had passed without disaster! As he sat  in the bleachers, though, watching Kelli - or was it Tammi? Giving a cheery welcome-speech and explaining how they’d all be breaking into groups for the tour soon, he felt a tap on his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Turning around, Percy had to fight a grin. Rachel Elizabeth Dare was sitting just behind him, in all of her not-so-put-together-but-definately-friend-shaped glory. As weird as it was to admit, he’d missed all of her rapid-fire questioning and curiosity that would definitely get her killed some day if she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked like she already had a laundry-list of questions lined up - he could </span>
  <em>
    <span>see it </span>
  </em>
  <span>in her eyes. But all she said was: </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just here for the orientation, I guess. You?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The same. You got your arm back?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorta,” he shrugged, scooting over as she moved to squeeze in beside him, disturbing some dude in a graphic tee with more blood than was probably school-appropriate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean sor-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, shut up. The cheerleaders are talking!” Someone shushed them from behind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi, guys!” a girl bubbled into the microphone. It was the blonde one, the trainee if he remembered right. “My name is Tammi, and this is, like, Kelli.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kelli did a cartwheel. Next to him, Rachel yelped like someone had stuck her with a pin. A few kids looked over and snickered, but Rachel just stared at the cheerleaders in horror. Tammi didn’t seem to notice the outburst. She started talking about all the great ways they could get involved during their freshman year. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Run,” Rachel said quietly. “Now.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy shook his head, and leaned in closer to whisper, “We’re safer in a crowd. Right now, we’re surrounded by the smell of humans, it’ll be harder to pick us out.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He carefully left out the fact that, being a son of one of the Big Three, that actually didn’t help very much - especially since he was already aware of his heritage. And there was a small chance that Kelli already knew what he looked like, aside from that. It wasn’t like he’d paid too much attention to where the Empousa had been looking when he shuffled into the gym, surrounded by young, awkward teenagers. He’d been more focused on not being seen himself, and on getting a seat at the end of a row so there was a route of escape; just a few steps or one ballsey leap and he’d be through the doors out of the gym. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel did seem comforted at least, choosing to place her trust in him - or at least his experience and knowledge - for the moment. Things had still been awkward where they last left off, but he figured not almost-decapitating her at the Hoover Dam had helped their relationship a little bit. Now he just needed to find a way to keep them from getting cornered during the tour… </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>As it turns out, Paul Blofis was quite happy to take Percy and his ‘pen pal from middle school’ on a personal tour of the school, when he asked. Of course, it was carefully disguised as a way to get to know the man his mom was getting involved with, and as a chance to reconnect with a friend he hadn’t heard from in a while. All the other tours were being done by upperclassmen anyway, so the guy wasn’t busy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was as they rounded the corner to the administrative wing of the building - counselors office, teachers lounge, ect, - that Rachel finally said something. Paul was a few feet ahead of them, explaining some placards on the wall, when she grabbed him by the arm and pulled Percy close to speak privately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So are you going to do anything?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“About what?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those- those- </span>
  <em>
    <span>cheerleaders.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She sounded uncertain about calling them cheerleaders, even as she hissed the word like some sort of curse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What, in broad daylight? I promised my mom I wouldn’t wreck anything today. I’ll find them after orientation and take care of it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you… I mean, can you? They looked…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Scary? Gross? Like the weirdest donkey-robot-cheerleader hybrids you’ve ever seen?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel nodded. To be honest, it unnerved him a little to see her unsure. Rachel Elizabeth Dare - his one, at least - had always had a sort of confidence to her that made her seem unshakable. With that blue plastic hairbrush, she was pretty much one of the most badass girls he’d ever met, besides his girlfriend and Piper. (Hazel was more of a subtle kind of badass - determined, strong, and brave, but not really showing it until it was necessary, but she still easily ranked high on that scale as well.) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry. They’re not as tough as they look, honest.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy wasn’t actually sure how he’d measure up in a one-on-one against someone like Kelli right now. She was very strong and fast, and he was still adjusting to his arm. It wasn’t impossible to fight one-handed with Riptide, (which was tucked safely in his pocket as always) but he lost some power from his swings by not using two hands. Granted, he had his brother’s shield to take up his other arm, but the same rule applied - Percy didn’t have as much strength to hold it up, nor had he regained the sort of speed it took to use it effectively. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could take Tammi, at the very least, and he had a feeling that, if nothing else, he could hold off the elder Empousa until she decided the fight wasn’t worth it. One of his best battle tactics was pissing off opponents until they made a mistake or just wanted to give up. Showing off a little of that Percy Jackson charm wouldn’t hurt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“About that… why can’t anyone else see what they are?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well that’s the Mist. It keeps things hidden from mortals - or, most of them, anyway. You can see through it for whatever reason, even though you’re otherwise normal.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She studied him carefully. “You did that at Hoover Dam. You called me a mortal. Like you’re not.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ah, well. They were bound to have this talk eventually. He tried to recall their last conversation - their </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>last conversation, not… from before. When </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> the last time he’d spoken to that Rachel? The one with an apartment full of seemingly random junk that she made into art anyway, who criticised the shade he’d chosen to paint the garage door and offered to redo it for him in the same breath? It couldn’t have been more than a few weeks before he died, they kept fairly regular contact. But that meant it’d still been years. Almost three now, actually. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy shook himself from his thoughts and just started talking - he was good at improvising. He could get through one awkward ‘gods and monsters are real’ conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m a half-blood: half-mortal. I was raised human though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you’re half human, and half what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...You know all of those Ancient Greek stories? With the gods and monsters and stuff?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like… the Minnotaur and Hydra?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, and lesson number one - don’t use their names. Especially with someone like me around. My dad’s a god, so I’m half human, half god. Halfblood, demi-god, whatever you wanna call it, it means monsters-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like those cheerleaders. And the zombies.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They all want to kill me,” he said with a nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel looked like she was about to say something, but Paul beat her to it: “So, are either of you going to tell me what’s so interesting back there?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy stumbled for a second, before realizing there was no way Blofis knew what they’d been talking about, or he’d have that Look on his face. The one mortals got when they thought someone was crazy for talking about Greek gods and stories the way half-bloods and others in-the-know did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh… we were just talking about the Hoover Dam. We both got to see it as part of a school trip and-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was also the first time we got to meet up in person, which was super cool.” Rachel finished helpfully. At least she was more than willing to lie to authority figures with little to no prompting. Useful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Paul nodded understandingly. “Say, our band room’s up ahead just through that door - why don’t you two check it out and catch up while I get us some sodas from the teacher’s lounge?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The teens nodded carefully, and watched turn and walk out of sight around a corner. Percy figured this was his way of trying to score points with his potentially-hopefully-future-stepson. To be honest, he was more surprised that there was soda anywhere on this campus than by the offer - but he figured teachers probably weren’t bound by the same rules as the students most of the time. In fact, the only two common ones he could think of were ‘no swearing in class,’ and ‘no smoking.’ (Not that he was prone to </span>
  <em>
    <span>either </span>
  </em>
  <span>as a student, thank you very much, he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>disruptive</span>
  </em>
  <span> not a straight-up </span>
  <em>
    <span>delinquent,</span>
  </em>
  <span> no matter what the media may want you to believe.) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Figuring it was better to have an assurance of privacy, and to actually be where Paul expected them to be, he stepped up to the band room door and went inside, holding it open for Rachel. He had a weird sense of deja vu before realizing this was the same band room he’d fought the Empousa in before. It wasn’t anything special - just a bunch of chairs, a line of percussion instruments, and a wall of lockers filled with instrument cases. He could make out the shape of what was probably a french horn’s case, but beyond that he wasn’t very good with instruments.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, all of the horrible things that I see… they’re really all monsters?” Rachel finally asked as the door shut behind her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They are - though they’re not all bad, per se. They usually only go after half-bloods, anyway. As a mortal, even one who can see through the Mist, you’re not in any… immediate trouble.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But I might have to use you to navigate an extremely dangerous Labyrinth to find someone who’s actually already at camp right now, we’ll see how it goes, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he finished in his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel nodded, seeming to digest this knowledge for all of ten seconds before she started firing off questions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So who’s your dad? Is he a really powerful god? Does he live up in Olympus? Do you live there with-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He held up a hand. “Poseidon, very, yes, and no, in fact I’m really glad I don’t.” Olympus was nice and all, but Percy wasn’t sure he could stand being near his dad for more than a few minutes at a time. As much as he wanted a relationship with the god, he’d resigned himself to the fact that he could only ever have something close to that with Paul at best. And that was fine, really. Kinda. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Barely pausing to breathe after hearing his answers, she started again on a similar track, and he was as patient as he could be. After maybe two or three solid minutes of this, he figured Paul had to be on his way back by now and made sure to slow Rachel down as much as possible. It was around when he’d finally gotten her to just one question at a time that she finally asked about the thing he didn’t really want to answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So how’d you get your arm back? Did you regrow it with magic or something?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...No. I told you my ability to heal is kinda limited,” he said carefully, pulling back the sleeve of his hoodie. “This is fake.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy was ready for sympathy, weird questions, pretty much anything but what she actually did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel Elizabeth Dare reached out carefully, like the celestial bronze was actually some sort of delicate porcelain, and pressed her fingertips to the design etched into his arm. She seemed to be admiring one of the hippocampi - not Rainbow, though, which was a little further up by the crook of his elbow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s like having a tattoo,” she muttered, either not aware of personal distance or just not caring. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’d thought about that when Tyson originally showed him the designs. It reminded him of the ones he’d gotten in another time. A carefully simplistic trident on his back to pair with Annabeht’s owl, resting between her shoulder blades and just barely reaching up to the nape of her neck. Honestly, he didn’t miss that one as much as his SPQR mark, though. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Those were… not memories he wanted to touch just yet, though. He had no idea if Hera’s plans might change, if something about the war might change course and he’d never get sent to the Roman camp at all. It was one of the things that kept Percy up at night, wondering just what memories he’d lose. Would he remember coming from the future? How would the goddess know to take those memories away if he’d come back before he’d come to camp, or even before he was supposed to know he’s a half-blood? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before he could even decide if he wanted to respond to that, though, the doors swung open, much more forcefully than Paul would have done. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There you are, Percy Jackson,” Tammi said. “It’s time for your orientation.” </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Love magic wasn’t something Percy had a good track record with, but after a few years of experience, he realized it was painfully easy to resist. But like with manipulating the Mist, he was just really bad at it until someone had finally knocked some sense into his head and taught him properly. It was about the same as ignoring the rage Ares inspired in others - you just had to step back and realize the emotions weren’t coming from yourself. After that, it was a lot easier to just pretend someone else was feeling those feelings and to set them aside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, tactfully ignoring the part of his brain that felt fuzzy and just wanted to shut down and listen to whatever Tammi said, Percy drew Riptide. For a moment he was tempted to activate his shield-watch as well - but settled for gripping the handle with both hands. He needed to be on the offensive here, at least until he’d taken down the intern. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tammi’s smile turned into a sneer as she made her way forward in an awkward, mismatched gait. “Oh, come on,” she cooed. “You don’t need that. How about a kiss instead?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No thanks,” he replied, lunging forward with one large swipe, aiming to just take off her head and be done with it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Empousa dodged, just barely, stumbling back with footsteps that sounded different enough for him to know which leg she’d landed on. With the smallest smirk, Percy quickly pulled his sword back before jabbing it into her right leg - about where the ankle would be on a donkey’s leg, at least at his best guess. She shrieked, but it obviously wasn’t a fatal wound. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two Empousa said something to each other, but he wasn’t paying attention to that as Tammi was suddenly coming at him with her talons.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy danced back as she swiped at his face, and ducked when she lunged at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This move usually works better with bigger guys, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought as he crouched low, tracking the monster’s movements as she tripped over him.</span>
  <em>
    <span> But this works</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dropping Riptide for just long enough to pull it off, he wrapped his arms around her torso and rolled back, smashing her head into the floor behind him. Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>quite </span>
  </em>
  <span>a supplex, exactly, but funny as hell to watch and satisfying to do nonetheless. As Tammi dealt with what was probably a nasty concussion, Percy scooped Anaklusmos back up and turned, spearing through the chest. She turned into a sulfur-smelling cloud with a shriek.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was little else in this world that was even as remotely satisfying, so he took a moment to breathe and send a cheeky grin to Kelli, who looked absolutely furious. His passive perception had gotten better over the years, so he already saw her flaming hair, but by the way she moved and snarled in a way that showed all her teeth, he had a feeling she’d just transformed. If he concentrated, he could feel the slight pressure behind his eyes that indicated he was looking at something disguised fade away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You killed my trainee!” Kelli yelled. “You need a lesson in school spirit, half-blood!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kelli was fast, and a lot more agile than Tammi despite having the same features that should have made fighting difficult. As her eyes glinted in the fluorescent light, she slammed into him and held him against the wall. From where he was, he could make out movement in the corner of his eyes. Knowing it wouldn’t do Rachel any good to draw attention to whatever she was doing, Percy kept his eyes firmly on the monster in front of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her claws were digging into his shoulders uncomfortably, and he heard the fabric of his hoodie ripping. It was impossible to maneuver his sword in this position, so he turned his attention to something just as familiar. Blood, rushing back and forth, moving with a heart beating faster than normal in the flood of emotion and adrenaline. It slipped through his mental grasp, not as reliable as water, but close enough for what he wanted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mythological or not, most land creatures require a few basic things. Food, water, and oxygen. Slamming his eyes closed to fight off the oncoming headache, Percy forced the liquid in Kelli’s veins to stop, like throwing up a dam in front of a rapid-moving river. That nasty feeling, like a dark, slimy pit in his stomach made him think about Nix and, strangely enough, his dad. He wondered if Poseidon could do… this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It would make sense, since all of his godly powers stemmed from the God of the Sea, but it still wasn’t pleasant to think about. Because if Poseidon could bend another’s blood to his will, it was guaranteed he could do it better and on a much wider scale than Percy ever could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he felt the grip on his shoulders loosen enough for him to shrug the senior Empousa off, he ended it quickly and as mercifully as he could with a final slash from Riptide. Just in time for Rachel Elizabeth Dare to get a face-full of stinky yellow misty and start coughing and sneezing, dropping the bongo set she’d been holding over her head. It looked like she’d meant to brain the monster, which would be utterly hilarious to Percy if he wasn’t dealing with a migraine and bleeding from the shoulder and somewhere on his face if the wetness on his chin was any indicator.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two had just barely gotten their bearings and were about to confirm if that really all just happened when Paul Blofis stepped in holding three cans of coke and looking… understandably disgruntled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What happened here?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yk what? i've decided I don't care anymore. There ARE going to be parts of this series that are largely copy+pasted and then edited around, because those scenes need to happen for the rest of the story to progress in a semi-linear way. Also, I'm going to assume most of you didn't go back and re-read all of pjo before reading this series, so I'm giving yall some refreshers too, I guess.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Look, Percy wasn’t a great liar at the best of times, and especially not right after a physically draining experience. That being said, he was pretty proud of their ‘rabid raccoon’ story. It explained the rips and tears in Percy’s clothes, and why an unfortunate set of bongos lay disfigured on the floor. It was embarrassing to claim he got nosebleeds from stress, but he didn’t mind the tetanus shot from the nurse, because who knows where those Empousa’s nails had been? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he and Rachel sat in the nurse’s office drinking luke-warm cokes and listening to Paul explain things to his mother over the phone, he actually felt rather happy with how things had gone. Sure, someone like Kelli would probably be back by the end of the month, but that was in the job description - and he’d taken two monsters of lower-middle and upper-middle difficulty all by himself with very minimal property damage. Annabeth would be so proud… if she’d ever seen how low the bar used to be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>He frowned. Coming back in time with over a decade of experience under his belt made a lot of the things he did seem less impressive. Or maybe they made him look more cool, like some sort of natural talent? Luke had seemed impressed with his swordsmanship that first summer, as had everyone else, but it felt like the excitement faded more quickly this time. He was sorta</span> <span>used to that though - when he was older and worked as a stand-in summer counselor, there were just as many stories from his friends about his failures as there were rumors and legacy-stories about his victories passed from older campers onto the newbies. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a little embarrassing to stare a pack of eleven-year-olds in the eye and deny that he had ever raced down Halfblood Hill in a shopping cart when he knew damn well there was a video of it online. Screw Leo for making the internet accessible at camp, he enjoyed the days where plausible deniability was still possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, well your mother is still waiting to have that job interview, so she can’t come pick you up. She just said to remind you to be careful, and that you know where to meet her later,” Blofis said as he walked back over to them, looking like any exasperated adult. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep, thanks Paul. If orientation is already almost over, do you think I can go? I have someone waiting for me outside.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t see why not… you’ve had quite the day already. Just make sure you go through the front - you remember the way?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy nodded with a smile, and got up to go when Rachel’s hand shot out to grab him by the wrist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait!” she said, pulling out a marker from somewhere. “Here, you’re gonna call me later and tell me more about… you know. Okay? I want to hear everything.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He waited patiently for her to scrawl a string of numbers on the back of his hand, and they exchanged brief goodbyes before he headed out of the building. He had a movie to catch with a certain wise girl. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy was very happy to not be leaving home for camp in a rush, for once. It</span>
  <em>
    <span> was </span>
  </em>
  <span>pretty early in the morning, but he already had his bags packed with the essentials and was enjoying a nice breakfast of eggs and blue pancakes. Annabeth was there too, right next to him and smiling at the oddly-colored food with a bemused smile. She’d stayed the night, since they were leaving together for camp that day, which was nice - even if his mom was very insistent that she sleep in the living room. (What did she think they were going to get up to? The movie yesterday was fun, but they hadn’t even discussed dating yet, really.) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they were packing things into the trunk of his mom’s car and sliding into the backseat together, they discussed the general goings-on around camp at the moment. Eventually they got past the subject of Grover’s hearing scheduled for later that day, and Percy asked how Nico was doing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s alright, but we really need to find someone better than the Stolls for him to hang out with. They were playing some sort of hybrid of poker and Mythomagic last week. Betting chores, I think.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugged. “The kid’s gonna have to learn this kinda stuff on his own, I think. It’s not like he’ll just pick new friends because we tell him to.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He would if </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>talked to him,” she retorted, giving him a look he wasn’t really sure how to decipher. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was sort of right, though. Percy just had a tendency to forget that this wasn’t the same jaded, obstinate teen who refused to listen to Percy on principle. This was a bright-eyed, excitable kid who followed him everywhere and asked all sorts of questions about strategy and how to use a sword. This was just a boy who still had his sister, even if she was miles and miles away most days, and who hadn’t been forced to live on his own with only the company of ghosts hoping to trick him and use him for their own gain for months. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was the Nico Di Angelo who, most likely, still had a childish crush on Percy thinly disguised as heroic ideation. Though he had noticed the kid acted a bit more subdued the first few weeks after the group had returned from their Quest, sneaking glances at Percy’s arm whenever he was around camp to get his prosthetic designed and adjusted. It was probably guilt, especially after Bianca had described how she might’ve been the one to end up that way if he hadn’t intervened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no reason for the kid to be guilty, though. Percy had made a promise to keep his sister safe, and stuck to it this time. That was all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He fiddled with his cycling gloves the whole ride, finally deciding to just rip them off and stuff them in his pocket, since he was already wearing a short-sleeved camp shirt. They didn’t do anything so why did he even want to wear them? It wasn’t like his ring or necklace. He couldn’t tug and twist them between his fingers for comfort, even if just the pressure of them made him feel a little better. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he and Annabeth grabbed their bags from the trunk and made their way up the hill, waving goodbye to his mom, Percy gave in and put them back on. It eased the heavy feeling in his chest that made his arms ache and throat burn. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s okay to need help, you’re not being dumb, just shut up and stop thinking about it, </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the mantra he repeated in his head. The voice sounded suspiciously like Dr. Keene. Percy wondered how his old therapist was doing; he had never described his </span>
  <em>
    <span>exact </span>
  </em>
  <span>struggles, obviously, that was probably why it had never really worked for him - he wasn’t able to be fully honest about the whos, whys, and wheres, even to a fellow half-blood. It hurt just to remember the names, let alone say them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Annabeth came up to the crest of the hill. The young guardian dragon was dozing, coiled around the pine tree, but he lifted his coppery head as they approached and let Annabeth scratch under his chin. Steam hissed out of his nostrils like a kettle and he went cross-eyed with pleasure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Peleus,” she said. “Keeping everything safe?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last time Percy had seen the dragon he’d been two metres long. Now he was at least twice that, and as thick around as the tree itself. Above his head, on the lowest branch of the pine tree, the Golden Fleece shimmered, its magic protecting the camp’s borders from invasion. The dragon seemed relaxed, like everything was okay. Below, Camp Half-Blood looked peaceful – green fields, forest, shiny white Greek buildings. The Big House sat proudly in the midst of the strawberry fields. To the north, past the beach, the Long Island Sound glittered in the sunlight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still, the whole camp felt like it was somehow holding its breath, detectable all the way down in the valley even this far away. And he had a feeling he knew why. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them walked down into the valley and found the summer session in full swing. Most of the campers had arrived last Friday, so everything was pretty much business as usual. The satyrs were playing their pipes in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow with woodland magic. Campers were having flying horseback lessons, swooping over the woods on their pegasi. The Athena and Demeter teams were having a chariot race around the track, and over at the canoe lake some kids in a Greek trireme were fighting a large orange sea serpent. Smoke rose from the forges and hammers rang as kids made their own weapons for arts &amp; crafts, briefly reminding him of his old necklace and bracelets. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’d lost the charm bracelets with his arm, and he’d finally gotten rid of the crumbling remains of his charm necklace sometime after his last quest. Now all he had was his camp necklace, and the celestial bronze ring, firmly replaced on the thumb of his left hand. Maybe it was time to find some more permanent things - he might visit Beckedorf again, or even ask the more practical Aphrodite kids about which accessories didn’t get in the way of battle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I need to talk to Clarisse,” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been working on something,” Annabeth said. “I’ll see you later.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Working on what?” It was a futile effort to ask, he knew, about something this private, but he was secure in the knowledge that someone would tell him soon enough anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth glanced towards the forest. “I’ll tell Chiron you’re here,” she moved past him, proving Percy correct. “He’ll want to talk to you before the hearing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right, Grover’s hearing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That </span>
  </em>
  <span>was happening. All he could remember was three old, fat satyrs looking down on his friend for not being able to accomplish what literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>no one else had ever done in thousands of years. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Percy knew he wanted to be there for his friend, to support him when his spirits were down even if he knew things would work out in the end. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>As Percy made his way through camp, he said hi to some of his friends. Connor and Travis were hot-wiring the camp’s van in the Big House’s driveway, Silena Beauregard flew a pegasus by overhead, and Beckendorf was making a run outside the cabin for some material or other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t see Nico anywhere, which meant he was probably pestering Mr. D about his ‘wine powers’ again, or maybe training in the sword arena. Percy decided to go there next. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What he found was not Nico, but instead a ginormous, tank-sized Hellhound with it’s back to him. For a single, brainless moment Percy almost rushed at it with Riptide, before realizing there was only one Hellhound allowed in camp, and he’d definitely only ever met one that big. Mrs. O'Leary. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was tearing into one of the straw dummies like a big milk bone, totally oblivious to the world around her. Grinning, Percy jogged around until he knew she’d be able to see him, before reaching up to scratch behind her ears. Mrs. O'Leary discarded the training dummy instantly, in favor of nuzzling her giant head into his chest and rolling onto her side, clearly begging for bellyrubs. And who was he to deny his favorite dog-like-monster (shh, don’t tell Cerberus,) some affection? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before he knew it, Percy was laughing and play-wrestling with the Hellhound, having the time of his life. He’d really missed her, and this was the best stress-relief available to him. In fact, he’d pretty much forgotten there was anything else he was supposed to be doing until he heard someone else approaching, and turned to see who it was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quintus. Daedalus. Appearing maybe fifty for all the many years he’d actually lived, stood with greyed hair that was light enough to suggest it’d once been blonde. He was definitely in much better shape than most people Percy knew at that age, (at least in mortals, anyway,) and could honestly probably kick Percy’s ass in a straight clash of swords. The older half-blood had experience and size on him, without being large enough for the extra weight or height to really be used against him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see you’ve met Mrs. O'Leary,” Daedalus laughed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy in the affirmative , but wasn’t sure if he was heard with his face squished into thick black fur, practically being crushed by the Hellhound. The old man laughed again as he tossed an armored mannequin somewhere for Mrs. O’Leary to fetch, and her weight shifted off of him as she ran off to some far corner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go! Get the Greek!” Daedalus called after her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brushing himself off as he stood, Percy sent him a sideways look. “You sure we should be teaching her to get the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Greeks?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eh, maybe you’re right, but it’s her favorite game! Most monsters don’t look much like those training dummies, anyway.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nodding, he absently checked his arm for scratches or dents. With the way Mrs. O’Leary had flattened the armor of her prey moments ago before tearing it away like tissue paper, he was pleasantly surprised to find nothing. With a sigh, he realized he’d probably have to clean it extra thoroughly later though - with all the slimy residue of monster dog drool around the joints. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>At least it’s not sandwich crumbs, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he mused. That had been, unfortunately, a lesson learned through experience. Crumbly or greasy foods were to be eaten one-handed, which made burgers and tacos much less enjoyable and harder to manage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guess you’ve probably figured she’s no ordinary Hellhound, huh?” Daedalus said, cutting off his thoughts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Lot more hound than hell, I think.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ha! You should see her when there’s real trouble, then. But yeah, she’s mostly harmless when she wants to be. Sweet girl.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seemingly as an afterthought, the man stuck out his hand and offered an actual greeting, “Quintus.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taking the hand, Percy noted that it was rough like sandpaper but not ungentle, and returned the gesture. “Percy Jackson.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m the new sword instructor. Helping Chiron out while Mr. D’s away.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He almost asked what Quintus meant by that, before remembering; Mr. D wouldn’t be back for some time, because he was doing damage control. Trying to keep Luke’s army from growing even stronger. Sometimes Percy forgot because apart from the rare occasion when he actually showed it off, the god was very careful to make sure everyone forgot he could actually be helpful at times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” he muttered, looking away just in time to catch a glimpse of something off to his left. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Stacked in a neat little pile were six large, wooden crates each the size of a picnic table. They were rattling, actually, and a loud </span>
  <em>
    <span>BUMP </span>
  </em>
  <span>came from one of them. Percy could hazard a guess as to what was inside, and didn’t really like the memories that they brought up. Mrs O’Leary cocked her head and bounded towards them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoa, girl!” Quintus said. “Those aren’t for you.” He distracted her with a bronze shield frisbee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crates thumped and shook. There were words printed on the sides, but with his dyslexia they took Percy a few minutes to decipher: TRIPLE G RANCH FRAGILE THIS WAY UP Along the bottom, in smaller letters: OPEN WITH CARE. TRIPLE G RANCH IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE, MAIMING OR EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL DEATHS. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those are some interesting boxes,” he commented. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quintus threw the bronze shield again after it’d been retrieved and Mrs O’Leary lumbered after it. “Just a little surprise for tomorrow’s capture the flag game. You young ones need more challenges. They didn’t have camps like this when I was a boy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pretty sure this camp has been around longer than you have, old man,” Percy said, not entirely sure of the accuracy of that statement but thinking it sounded right. Chiron had been assigned to this place quite a long time ago, hadn’t he?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Surprised to meet an old half-blood?” he chuckled. “Some of us </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> survive into adulthood, you know. Not all of us are the subject of terrible prophecies.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seems everyone knows about that before they even meet me,” Percy looked away. It was true enough - everyone knows your horrible fate before they even know your middle name. (Technically his would just be Poseidon according to Greek rules since his mom never gave him a middle name, but still.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually, I think the arm is more of a give-away there, kid.” Quintus said, but it wasn’t ill-spirited. At least, not by the sound of his voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron clip-clopped into the arena before Percy could say anything about that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy, there you are!” He must’ve just come from teaching archery. He had a quiver and bow slung over his ‘NO. 1 CENTAUR’ T-shirt. He’d trimmed his curly brown hair and beard for the summer, and his lower half, a white stallion, was flecked with mud and grass. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see you’ve met our new instructor.” Chiron’s tone was light, but there was an uneasy look in his eyes. “Quintus, do you mind if I borrow Percy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not at all, Master Chiron.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No need to call me ‘master’,” Chiron said, though he sounded sort of pleased. “Come, Percy. We have much to discuss.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took one more glance at Mrs O’Leary, who was now chewing off the target dummy’s legs. “Well, see you,” he told Quintus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They walked away in a silence that should’ve been companionable, but wasn’t. It wasn’t easy to spot in a guy like Chiron, but he could tell the centaur was nervous about something - but in that contemplative way that meant he was already halfway through a plan to deal with whatever was making him anxious.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“First thing’s first,” Chiron said, once they were fairly outside of anyone’s earshot. “Annabeth told me you ran into some Empousai?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, that was a fair concern for his counselor to have in retrospect, but it still made him regret telling Annabeth the story last night. He knew she told Chiron everything, and that Chiron confronted any problem that might even have the potential to be dangerous to Percy. Prophecy child status aside, he genuinely cared about his campers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did,” he mumbled, before telling the old man the story. Towards the end, he thought of something that had occurred during their fight - not this one, but the first time. About Camp Halfblood going up in flames. He relayed that, too, because even if everyone was expecting it, direct confirmation that Luke was planning to move in soon would make sure they were really ready.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm,” Chiron said. “It is not good that the she-demons are stirring.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Think they were waiting there for me then?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Possibly.” The centaur frowned. “It is amazing you survived. Their powers of deception… almost any male hero would’ve fallen under their spell and been devoured.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hummed, not thinking it was a particularly amazing feat. “Guess it was a mix of things that kept my head clear. I’ve been pretty worried about Luke and everything, yknow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron gave him a look like he expected him to elaborate further, but Percy didn’t. It wasn’t the old man’s business if thinking about watching his best friends die soured the mood when Tammi tried to kiss him. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely </span>
  </em>
  <span>wasn’t his business if focusing on that awful, gut-wrenching feeling of </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh god he’s head I killed him what did I do he’s dead- </span>
  </em>
  <span>kept Percy strangely grounded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron nodded. “Indeed. What the empousa said about an attack on camp – we must speak of this further. But for now, come, we should get to the woods. Grover will want you there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right…” </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Chiron said they needed to hurry, so Percy agreed to ride on his back. As they galloped past the cabins, he glanced at the dining hall – it was the first time he’d seen it in a while, and it brought back memories. He grinned when he thought about a certain kid eavesdropping on quest-planning at an age when Percy hadn’t even known half-bloods existed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They plunged into the woods, and some nymphs peeked out of the trees to watch them pass. Large shapes rustled in the shadows – monsters that were kept in here as a challenge to the campers. He figured he knew the forest pretty well, but Chiron took an unfamiliar path - or at least one Percy didn’t immediately recognize - through a tunnel of old willow trees, past a little waterfall and into a glade blanketed with wildflowers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A bunch of satyrs were sitting in a circle on the grass. Grover stood in the middle, facing three really old, really fat satyrs who sat on topiary thrones shaped out of rose bushes. Percy knew they were the Council of Cloven Elders, even if he didn’t immediately remember each of their names.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover seemed to be telling them a story. He twisted the bottom of his T-shirt, shifting nervously on his goat hooves. He hadn’t changed much since last winter, maybe because satyrs age half as fast as humans. His acne had flared up, and his horns had gotten a little bigger, so they just stuck out over his curly hair. Percy realized that he was slightly taller than the satyr now - they were fairly even as adults, so it was a bit awkward to think about. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Standing off to one side of the circle were Annabeth, Juniper and Clarisse. Chiron dropped him next to them. Clarisse’s stringy brown hair was tied back with a camouflage bandanna, and it seemed like she’d been working out more. She glared at him and muttered, “Punk,” which was better than he could’ve expected considering she must not be in the greatest of moods lately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth had her arm around the other girl wood nymph, Juniper, who looked like she’d been crying. She actually looked almost no different from the last time Percy had seen her with Grover, probably because like satyrs, nymphs aged much slower than humans. She was petite, with wispy hair the colour of amber and a pretty, elfish face. She wore a green chiton and laced sandals, and she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s going terribly,” she sniffled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, no.” Annabeth patted her shoulder. “He’ll be fine, Juniper.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth looked to him and mouthed the words</span>
  <em>
    <span> ‘Grover’s girlfriend</span>
  </em>
  <span>,’ which was a bit unnecessary. The last time he’d seen them as a couple the two were married and expecting, but he didn’t expect to slip up much there - he’d never been one to be very invested in other people’s domestic situations unless they spoke about it first. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Master Underwood!” the council member on the right shouted, cutting off whatever Grover was trying to say. “Do you seriously expect us to believe this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“B-but, Silenus,” Grover stammered. “It’s the truth!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The council guy, Silenus, turned to his colleagues and muttered something. Chiron cantered up to the front and stood next to them. The centaur was an honorary member of the council, but that didn’t mean much a lot of the time, even though he looked more impressive than the other councilman. With huge bellies, sleepy expressions, and glazed eyes that couldn’t see past the next opportunity to eat tin cans, they looked like petting zoo goats. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silenus tugged his yellow polo shirt over his belly and adjusted himself on his rosebush throne. “Master Underwood, for six months – </span>
  <em>
    <span>six months</span>
  </em>
  <span> – we have been hearing these scandalous claims that you heard the wild god Pan speak.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I did!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Impudence!” said the elder on the left. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, Maron-” Chiron said. “Patience.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Patience, indeed!” Maron said. “I’ve had it up to my horns with this nonsense. As if the wild god would speak to… to him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Juniper looked like she wanted to charge the old satyr and beat him up, but Annabeth and Clarisse held her back. “Wrong fight, girlie,” Clarisse muttered. “Wait.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For six months,” Silenus continued, “we have indulged you, Master Underwood. We let you travel. We allowed you to keep your searcher’s licence. We waited for you to bring proof of your preposterous claim. And what have you found in six months of travel?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just need more time,” Grover pleaded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing!” the elder in the middle chimed in. “You have found nothing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But, Leneus –” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silenus raised his hand. Chiron leaned in and said something to the satyrs. The satyrs didn’t look happy. They muttered and argued among themselves, but Chiron said something else, and Silenus sighed. He nodded reluctantly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Master Underwood,” Silenus announced, “we will give you one more chance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover brightened. “Thank you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One more week.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? But, sir! That’s impossible!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One more week, Master Underwood. And then, if you cannot prove your claims, it will be time for you to pursue another career. Something to suit your dramatic talents. Puppet theatre, perhaps. Or tap dancing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But, sir, I – I can’t-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy really had a hard time understanding why three fat old goats who did nothing but sit on their asses and eat all day were so impatient for Grover to find Pan. Surely they didn’t just revoke the license of</span>
  <em>
    <span> anyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>who couldn’t find the nature god right away, or how would anyone be expected to make any progress? As far as he knew Searchers weren’t paid some ridiculous salary or anything, it was a regular job that a great deal of Satyrs were expected to take for at least a short time in their lives. Why fire anyone who doesn’t get immediate results if you actually want to find the actual hardest god to find?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, saying any of these things out loud wasn’t likely to help his friend, in fact they were liable to hurt the situation if anything, so he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he walked up to his friend and set a hand on Grover’s shoulder, trying to give him a reassuring look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One of the old satyrs adjourned the meeting, then clapped his hands and a bunch of nymphs melted out of the trees with platters of vegetables, fruits, tin cans and other goat delicacies. The circle of satyrs broke and charged the food. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Percy,” Grover finally said, turning to face him fully. “Thanks for being here, at least.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those old goats!” Juniper said, as the two of them walked back to the group of girls still sitting together. “Oh, Grover, they don’t know how hard you’ve tried!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is another option,” Clarisse said darkly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. No.” Juniper shook her head. “Grover, I won’t let you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His face was ashen. “I – I’ll have to think about it. But we don’t even know where to look.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy hummed, sitting down with his friends for a moment. They didn’t get to relax for long, though,  before a horn sounded in the distance - inspection was starting.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hehehe. Little Nico gives my brain the happy chemical. Small happy child.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It didn’t seem fair to have to participate in inspection when he’d only just gotten back to camp that day, but he also wasn’t too worried. One of the cabin-leaders would come along with a papyrus-scroll checklist and give the best cabin first shower privileges, and the worst kitchen duty. The last time he’d even been at camp was Winter break, and he couldn’t remember leaving anything worse than some untucked sheets and a full garbage bin when he left. It’d taken years, but Annabeth </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>beaten some cleanliness into him when they moved in together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he made his way up to the U-shaped arrangement of cabins, though, he knew he probably wouldn’t be getting first. The Demeter kids were sweeping out theirs and making fresh flowers grow in their window boxes. The guys in the Hermes cabin were scrambling around in a panic, stashing dirty laundry under their beds and accusing each other of taking stuff. They were slobs, but there were a lot more of them than anyone else, almost twice as many hands to clean as most cabins. Over at the Aphrodite cabin, Silena Beauregard was just coming out, checking items off the inspection scroll. She was, unfortunately, the worst inspector you could have - sweet overall, but a total neat-freak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Poseidon cabin was at the end of the row of male god cabins on the right side of the green. It was made of grey shell-encrusted sea rock, long and low like a bunker, but it had windows that faced the sea and it always had a good breeze blowing through it. He quickly made his way up the steps, ready to do a quick once-over and maybe dig around for some clean sheets, when he noticed the door slightly ajar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly in a much better mood, Percy grinned as he rushed through the doors to greet the only other person allowed in Cabin Three without him inviting them - his brother, Tyson. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy!” the cyclops bellowed. He dropped the broom he’d been sweeping with, and charged at Percy for a bone-crushing hug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He barely had time to register the flowery apron and rubber cleaning gloves before he was struggling to breathe. “Hey, big guy!” he said, wrapping his arms around Tyson as much as he could - which wasn’t much with them basically pinned to his side. (And wow, the metal arm was really digging into his side, he’d need to remember that in the future.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are okay?” he asked. “Not eaten by monsters?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope! As in-tact as I was the last time you saw me, anyway.” Tyson had been allowed a small break from his internship for a ‘family emergency’ when they were sorting out his arm, but he’d still been gone for a few weeks by now. But true to his word, Percy was no more maimed than he’d been four months ago. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cyclops grinned, “Then we can still eat peanut butter sandwiches and ride fish ponies! We can fight monsters and see Annabeth and make things go BOOM!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hopefully not all at once, but that all sounded like a pretty fun way to spend some of his summer with Tyson - when they got the time. Taking a moment to look around, finally, Percy saw that Tyson had been busy. The floor was swept, the bunk beds were made, and the saltwater fountain in the corner had been freshly scrubbed so the coral gleamed. On the windowsills, Tyson had even set out water-filled vases with sea anemones and strange glowing plants from the bottom of the ocean, more beautiful than any flower bouquets the Demeter kids could whip up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tyson, the cabin looks amazing!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He beamed. “See the fish ponies? I put them on the ceiling!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A herd of miniature bronze hippocampi hung on wires from the ceiling, so it looked like they were swimming through the air. It was really cool, and he smiled at the memory of how they seemed to glow when the sun was rising and shone through the windows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, my,” came a voice from behind. Silena Beauregard was standing in the doorway with her inspection scroll. She stepped into the cabin, did a quick twirl, then raised her eyebrows at him. “Well, I had my doubts. But you clean up nicely, Percy. I’ll remember that.” She winked and left the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had to keep himself from saying anything about that, because he already knew she was just teasing. Percy was fairly certain Silena had never once had any feelings for him, because that would be ridiculous and she probably already had an eye for Beckendorf by now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...And </span>
  <em>
    <span>wow</span>
  </em>
  <span> did he not want to think about those two any more than necessary, time to change that train of thought before he made himself too sad to function for the rest of the day. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He and Tyson spent the afternoon catching up and just hanging out, which was nice after a morning of getting attacked by demon cheerleaders. They went down to the forge and helped Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin with his metalworking. Tyson showed them how he’d learned to craft magic weapons; he fashioned a flaming double-bladed war axe so fast even Beckendorf was impressed. The two engineers also discussed Percy’s arm, Charlie seemed very interested in the idea and compared it to the mechanical horses he’d built to pull his chariot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While he worked, the cyclops talked about his year under the sea. His eye lit up when he described the Cyclops' forges and the palace of Poseidon, but he had also noticed how tense things were. The old gods of the sea, who’d ruled during Titan times, were starting to make war on their father. When Tyson had left, battles were raging all over the Atlantic, but Poesidon still wanted his sons to be at camp for now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lots of bad people above the sea, too,” Tyson said. “We can make them go boom.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the forges, they spent some time at the canoe lake with Annabeth. She was really glad to see Tyson, but she was obviously distracted. She kept looking over at the forest - Percy imagined she was still upset over Grover’s trial. He couldn’t blame her - Grover was nowhere to be seen, which made things seem even more tense.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even if he hadn’t already lived through it, Percy wouldn’t doubt the voice his friend had heard - Pan saying that he was waiting for the satyr to find him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, what’s this ‘other way’?” he said casually. “Could it really help?” Not that he wanted to dissuade anyone, but Percy was really hoping to go into the Labyrinth more prepared this time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She picked up a stone and skipped it across the lake. “Something Clarisse scouted out. I helped her a little this spring. But it would be dangerous. Especially for Grover.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Goat boy scares me,” Tyson murmured.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would you be scared of Grover?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hooves and horns,” Tyson muttered nervously. “And goat fur makes my nose itchy.” And that pretty much ended the Grover conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before dinner, he and Tyson went down to the sword arena. Quintus was glad to have company. He still wouldn’t talk about his plans for the game, but he demonstrated a few sword moves for them. The guy fought the way some people play chess – like he was putting all the moves together and you couldn’t see the pattern until he made the last stroke and won with a sword at your throat. He seemed only a little surprised when Percy wasn’t hopelessly outmatched. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good try,” Quintus said, “but you're too aggressive. You want to end the fight quickly, but when you can’t do that your defense is left wide open.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He lunged and Percy parried. “I dunno, it’s worked pretty well for me so far.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quintus grinned, and Percy’s overhead strike was too fast to be properly blocked - he was forced to deflect and leap back quickly. The shoulder strap of the old man’s armor shifted, which gave Percy a perfect view of the purple partridge stamped on his skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t ask about it then - not because he already knew, but because he wished he could forget. While they fought, Tyson played with Mrs O’Leary, whom he called the ‘little doggie’. They had a great time wrestling for the bronze shield and playing Get the Greek. By sunset, Quintus had barely broken a sweat, (which was totally unfair,) but he and Tyson hit the showers before dinner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been a pretty good day at camp. They all lined up at the pavilion for dinner, most campers carefully avoiding the sealed fissure in the marble floor at the entrance – a three-metre-long jagged scar in the ground. Nico hadn’t exactly been subtle when he discovered his powers, child-like enthusiasm a little concerning considering he was raising the dead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Big crack,” Tyson said when they got to their table table. “Earthquake, maybe?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Percy said. “Nico di Angelo.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who’s that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A half-blood we brought to camp over winter-break, he’s uh. A little excitable.” He pointed to the Hermes dinner table, where the kid was playing (and hopefully not losing at) poker with the stoll brothers. “His sister was telling him about a fight with some skeleton-warriors on our quest, and I guess he got… inspired.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson frowned. “So he put a crack in the floor?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“These skeletons attacked us,” Percy continued. “Not on purpose, of course. Nico told them to go away, and the ground just opened up and swallowed them. He’s a son of Hades.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson nodded thoughtfully. “The god of dead people.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So why does the Nico boy sit with another cabin?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He… no-one can know who his dad really is, Tyson. It’s a secret. If anyone else knew-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The bad prophecy,” Tyson said. “Titans might use him if they knew.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy nodded. For now, it was just a secret between a few people - him, Annabeth, and Grover. Nico and his sister too, obviously. It’d been a real pain to make sure the kid wouldn’t say anything or show off any of his ‘awesome moves’ to the other campers, but he seemed to get that it was a big deal. There wasn’t even a Hades cabin, right now, so it was for the best that he stayed with the Hermes cabin. At least they didn’t have to worry about Bianca in that respect - daughter of Hades or not, Artemis wouldn’t just drop her co-lieutenant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly, so-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mouth sealed,” Tyson promised. “Like the crack in the ground.” </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>...Percy had actually looked into melatonin supplements, in recent months. Mostly he’d been hoping that a drug-induced sleep would be more restful, but that sadly wasn’t the case. The little fruit-flavored gummies made him tired, but didn’t put him to sleep any easier and made him really groggy in the morning. He banished them under the bathroom sink after the first week. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he contemplated the nature of existence while lying sideways on his bed, so that his legs rested up against the wall and his head just barely dangled off the side, he realized there were probably more productive uses of his time. Like… going down to the docks and seeing if any of the nocturnal sea-creatures wanted to hang out. Or needed help. Yeah, a couple of hours underwater would probably do him some good, it’d calm him thoughts and give him something to focus on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Righting himself and slipping off his bed, Percy hunted for his shoes and a clean pair of socks. He also grabbed an old, green hoodie from something that probably wasn't a coat rack but he used it like one, mostly to feel like something was protecting him. Somehow. Not like one more layer of cloth was any better than the t-shirt he’d been sleeping in; in fact it was liable to give him an infection if someone cut him through it, but it was the mental comfort it provided that mattered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The air outside was a bit cooler than the naturally humid, salty atmosphere of his cabin, which felt refreshing. With the moon high in the sky and just full enough to provide light to walk by, Percy made his way along the familiar path from the cabins down to the docks. He was just passing the dining pavilion when there was a small scuffle from behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feet. Small feet, on a small body, that was trying really hard to sneak up on someone. Grinning to himself and casually resuming his walk, he waited to see when the boy would make his move. Definitely before he actually reached the docks, but probably not before they were a little farther to be safe from anyone who might hear and catch them breaking curfew… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was right. The pitch-black waves reflected with faint glimmers of moonlight, still more than a football field away but growing nearer by the second. Just as he was debating if the kid had decided to return to his cabin, he felt a pair of small arms wrap around his middle with a victorious shout. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Got you!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico di Angelo was a very cute kid when he hadn’t discovered emo culture yet, Percy thought. Bright-eyed and smiling with no reservation, clad in sweatpants and a hoodie that was far too big for him but looked cozy as hell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You sure did, ha! Let me guess, you followed me out here because...” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to train some more! Please? No one’s up right now and-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking his head, Percy tried to recall if he was ever this eager to train his godly powers. Honestly, it’d come so naturally and he’d been dealing with so many conflicted feelings about his father that he wasn’t sure he’d ever been this eager to learn anything other than sword fighting. But Nico was different - he didn’t think about his parents much, and was honestly just happy to have something special about him that made him strong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After letting the kid stew for just long enough to make him nervous, Percy finally nodded and started walking again. Hearing the kid follow just a step behind, he idly listened to the mumbling of stats and hit points, and mused about what they should do tonight. This was a welcome distraction, probably more so than spending time trying </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>to think, but there were also only so many things he could help Nico learn.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kid had learned all of his undead skills on his own, out of necessity rather than desire, which was a hard environment to replicate. Even if Percy knew all of the things he could,</span>
  <em>
    <span> potentially </span>
  </em>
  <span>do, he’d never asked how Nico did those things anymore than he tried to explain manipulating water to anyone. His Nico, the one who’d grown up to become the Ghost King and date Will Solace, was as reserved about his powers as pretty much every other fact about himself. All he could think of were all the various warnings Will would shout and curse halfway across camp about fatigue and comas. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, wanna tell me what you’re doing up so late?” he asked as they stepped onto the dock. He took a moment to breathe in the sea-salt rich air and clear his head briefly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t sleep.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sounds familiar.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Then I saw you walking by through the window, and… well...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, Nico,” he laughed quietly. “I couldn’t sleep either. What do you say to some underwater training?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The son of Hades nodded eagerly; clearly he either already understood what Percy meant or had no qualms about jumping into freezing water at just past midnight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, take my hand,” he said. Nico did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without a single word of warning, (mostly for dramatic effect) Percy stepped off the pier, bringing the kid with him. They sank for a moment before hitting the sand, and the air bubble he’d had around Nico spread to a few feet in either direction across the sands. It also made the ground the kid walked on dry and more stable to walk on. At least, as stable as sand gets. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So cool!” he gasped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it is. C’mon, follow me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they made their way down to the shoals, Percy debated how long he’d be able to hold off the water pressure for someone else. His own tolerance for the weight of water was boundless, but it took a conscious effort to keep others alive the deeper he took them under with him. About as much effort as boiling water, but still - he had to keep an eye on things, just in case he slipped. So he decided, before they were even within sight of it, that they wouldn’t go any further than the drop-off for now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was very dark under the water, and Percy almost forgot that Nico didn’t have the same sorta heat-based vision he did, and only remembered after the kid took a hard trip into the sandy floor. He mumbled a quick apology </span>
  <span>as he uncapped Riptide, giving off just enough light to almost see to the edge of the bubble he’d made for Nico while the kid was holding it. Once he figured they’d gone far enough, he put up a hand to say they were stopping, and took a glance around. The floor was a bit more solid here, hard stone underneath just a thin layer of sand - perfect for what he wanted Nico to learn today. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pretty much every time he thought that Nico had mastered a skill enough to try something new and add it to what he was practicing, he suggested it in a way like he was guessing. Posing possibilities based on what he knew Hades was capable of, or just a ‘lucky guess’ about undead magic. To be honest, he knew there were still things Nico would have to figure out on his own - like shadow travel and that… whatever exactly it was that he did to Bryce Lawrence. (That was still only a less than half-finished story to him from Renya, one he didn’t regret not looking into more.) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay kid, I think you should try something new today.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like what?” It seemed like Nico was conflicted between disappointment at not summoning another horde of skeletons and drowned-sailor ghosts, and excitement for something new. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know how the ground opens up when you summon the dead? Try focusing on </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>the ground today, not skeletons or zombies or ghosts - just the ground. Uncle Hades has some pretty intimidating geokinesis, I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to access at least some of that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gasped. “Like the earthbenders in Avatar?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy blinked. He hadn’t even known that show existed, yet, and he had no idea how the kid could have watched it already. Granted, he and Bianca </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>spent a significant amount of time in the Lotus Casio, which probably had all the newest shows and movies playing all the time, and maybe even ones that weren’t supposed to be out yet. And no doubt Bianca had taken the chance to leave her brother watching tv so she could have some fun alone for once, especially with that place’s magic working. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...yeah, like that. Go on, try it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were several minutes of nothing, which was to be expected. Well, nothing but Nico making some funny faces and making waving/pushing motions with one or both hands. Eventually the kid settled for kneeling on the ground with both palms splayed in the sand, with his eyes closed, presumably conjuring up some mental image or another to try and visualize what he wanted to happen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, the ground began to shake a little. It vibrated, not unlike how Percy remembered making the earth beneath him tremble from trying to summon groundwater to him. Sometimes he wished he was able to make earthquakes like his dad, but that power just wasn’t transferred to him - or it was so weak he’d never been able to do anything noticeable with it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A fissure appeared in the sand, exposing the rocky surface below until eventually that split apart, too. The crevice grew and grew until it reached all the way to the drop-off point, when Percy stepped in, deciding they didn’t want to cause any detrimental seismic activity. That’d draw too much attention, and as he knew all too well, if the kid started displaying his powers more obviously, his dad would have no choice but to claim him. They were seriously trying to avoid that eventuality, because if Hades was finally willing to reveal the children he’d tried so hard to hide away, then </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> would know it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They spent maybe two or three hours practicing the kid’s geokinesis. Percy was actually quite surprised by how much progress Nico was able to make in that time - he was already forming spikes and making them fly at some lazy-looking skeleton soldiers. Maybe he was a little bit jealous too, but he shoved that aside for the blooming pride he felt for the kid. This was what Nico </span>
  <em>
    <span>should </span>
  </em>
  <span>have had the first time, what any half-blood would kill to have: time and innocence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He went to sleep a lot easier when they finally surfaced and returned to their cabins. In fact, he’s pretty sure he went the whole rest of the night without a single dream. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>T</span>
  <span>he next morning there was a lot of excitement at breakfast. Apparently around three in the morning an Aethiopian drakon had been spotted at the borders of camp; he and Nico must have just missed all of the noise. The magical boundaries had kept the monster out, but it prowled the hills, looking for weak spots in the defences, and it didn’t seem anxious to go away until Lee Fletcher from Apollo’s cabin led a couple of his siblings in pursuit. After a few dozen arrows lodged in the chinks of the drakon’s armour, it got the message and withdrew. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s still out there,” Lee warned during announcements. “Twenty arrows in its hide, and we just made it mad. The thing was ten metres long and bright green. Its eyes-” He shuddered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did well, Lee.” Chiron patted him on the shoulder. “Everyone stay alert, but stay calm. This has happened before.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aye,” Quintus said from the head table. “And it will happen again. More and more frequently.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The campers murmured among themselves. Everyone knew the rumours: Luke and his army of monsters were planning an invasion of the camp. No one knew when it was coming, (unfortunately Percy had no idea either, he couldn’t remember how much time they’d spent in the Labyrinth overall) and it didn’t help the mood that attendance was down. Three years ago, Percy had seen over a hundred half-bloods at camp. This year there was maybe eighty. Some had died. Some had joined Luke. Some had just disappeared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is a good reason for new war games,” Quintus continued, a glint in his eyes. “We’ll see how you all do with that tonight.’”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes …” Chiron said. “Well, enough announcements. Let us bless this meal and eat.” He raised his goblet. “To the gods!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone raised their glasses and repeated the blessing. Percy and Tyson took their plates to the bronze brazier and scraped a portion of their food into the flames. Hopefully dear old dad likes blueberry muffin and cheerios. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey dad, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he silently prayed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s… another morning. Keep Bessie safe, and maybe say hi to mom sometime? She’d appreciate a letter, I think. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a lot he could ask for help with, and Poesidon was generally one of the more patient gods, but there wasn’t much his dad could do for him at the moment. Maybe he could ask for a few extra-powerful hurricanes for Luke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once everyone was eating, Chiron and Grover came over to visit. Grover was bleary-eyed, his shirt inside out. He slid his plate onto the table and slumped next to Percy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson shifted uncomfortably. “I will go … um … polish my fish ponies.” He lumbered off, leaving his breakfast half eaten. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Chiron tried for a smile. He probably wanted to look reassuring, but that just made Percy more nervous when adults did that. “Well, Percy, how did you sleep?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, thanks.” Thank the gods Chiron was more merciful about curfew-breaking than Mr D, especially if you could pretend you hadn’t done anything wrong at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I brought Grover over,” Chiron said, “because I thought you two might want to, ah, discuss matters. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some Iris-messages to send. I’ll see you later in the day.” He gave Grover a meaningful look, then trotted out of the pavilion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what’s this all about?” he asked, trying to prod his friend into talking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover chewed his eggs. He looked distracted, chewing some of his fork and napkin too. “He wants you to convince me,” he mumbled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Someone else slid into the seat next to him: Annabeth. “I’ll tell you what it’s about,” she said. “The Labyrinth.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everybody was staring and whispering. It wasn’t the first time Annabeth had sat at his table, but everyone had ignored it the last time because they felt awkward for bullying him about Tyson. This was just a blatant disregard for rules that, unfortunately, he hadn’t been reformed yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not supposed to sit here,” Percy teased. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We need to talk, seaweed brain,” she said, rolling her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugged, not really against it in the first place. It wasn’t like anyone was really going to punish them - Mr D was gone, Chiron had already left the pavilion, and while Quintus looked over and raised an eyebrow, Percy had it on good authority the guy wouldn’t say anything just yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look,” Annabeth said. “Grover is in trouble. There’s only one way we can figure out to help him. It’s the Labyrinth. That’s what Clarisse and I have been investigating.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, so that’s how you two have been so friendly lately, I was getting worried.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Be serious,” she said, smacking him on the arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So… I assume the entrance is in America now, or are we booking a flight to Crete?” he asked, mostly for clarification that nothing had drastically changed from his memory. Then again, it’s not like anyone was aware there were any entrances so… close. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s many passages,” she nodded. “It wouldn’t all fit under just one place, it’s been growing for thousands of years, lacing its way under Western cities, connecting everything together underground. You can get anywhere through the Labyrinth.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you don’t get lost,” Grover muttered. “And die a horrible death.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Grover, there has to be a way,” Annabeth said. “Clarisse lived.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Barely!” Grover said. “And the other guy-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was driven insane. He didn’t die.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, joy.” Grover’s lower lip quivered. “That makes me feel much better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy hummed. “Driven insane?” He didn’t want to pry, exactly, but if they could actually get something out of Chris this time, it might be useful. Not dragging Rachel into things just yet was important; there were people they had to meet and… he honestly didn’t have any confidence that he could convince anyone it was a good idea until they’d exhausted all other options. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth glanced over towards the Ares table. Clarisse was watching them like she knew what they were talking about, but then she fixed her eyes on her breakfast plate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Last year,” Annabeth said, lowering her voice, “Clarisse went on a mission for Chiron.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I remember,” he nodded. “No one would talk to me about it, not even the Ares kids wanted to brag about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was a secret,” Annabeth agreed, “because she found Chris Rodriguez.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He almost felt bad for Chris - as one of the half-bloods who’d abandoned camp to join the Titan army, he probably hadn’t known at all what he was getting into. Getting sent into the Labyrinth was pretty much a death sentence, especially with someone like Luke looking after you. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermes kid, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Annabeth said. “Last summer he just appeared in Phoenix, Arizona, near Clarisse’s mom’s house.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How was he then? Has he gotten better?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was wandering around the desert, in fifty degrees, in full Greek armour, babbling about string. He’d been driven completely insane. Clarisse brought him back to her mom’s house so the mortals wouldn’t institutionalize him, and tried to nurse him back to health. Chiron came out and interviewed him, but it wasn’t much good. The only thing they got out of him was that Luke’s men have been exploring the Labyrinth.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> Percy glanced over at Grover, who was chewing up the rest of his fork. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm. Wonder what they were exploring the Labyrinth for,” he contemplated aloud, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We weren’t sure at the time,” Annabeth said. “That’s why Clarisse went on a scouting expedition. But yes, the Labyrinth has entrances everywhere. If Luke could figure out how to navigate it, he could move his army around with incredible speed.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Except it’s a maze, not the easiest thing to navigate your troops through.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Full of horrible traps,” Grover agreed. “Dead ends. Illusions. Psychotic goat-killing monsters.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But not if you had Ariadne’s string,” Annabeth said. “In the old days, Ariadne’s string guided Theseus out of the maze. It was a navigation instrument of some kind, invented by Daedalus. And Chris Rodriguez was mumbling about a string.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fair point. But how does he even know the string’s still inside the Labyrinth? What’s his plan if they can’t find it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth shook her head. “I don’t know, but it’s the only place that makes sense. As for why he wants it, well… that still doesn’t add up. The closest entrances Clarisse found were in Manhattan, which wouldn’t help Luke get past our borders. Clarisse explored a little way into the tunnels, but … it was very dangerous. She had some close calls. I researched everything I could find out about Daedalus. I’m afraid it didn’t help much. I don’t understand exactly what Luke’s planning, but I do know this: the Labyrinth might be the key to Grover’s problem.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think Pan’s underground,” Percy stated, matter-of-fact. She wasn’t wrong, but in all fairness, it sounded pretty crazy out loud. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It would explain why he’s been impossible to find.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover shuddered. “Satyrs hate going underground. No Searcher would ever try going in that place. No flowers. No sunshine. No coffee shops!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But,” Annabeth said, “the Labyrinth can lead you almost anywhere. It reads your thoughts. It was designed to fool you, to trick you and kill you; but if you can make the Labyrinth work for you-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It could lead you to the wild god.” Percy needed his friend to believe in this option - if they couldn’t get him underground, he’d never find Pan. It’s not like he could remember the location of one cave in New Mexico.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t do it.” Grover hugged his stomach. “Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up my silverware.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Grover, it may be your last chance,” Annabeth said. “The council is serious. One week or you learn to tap dance!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Over at the head table, Quintus cleared his throat. It seemed he didn’t want to make a scene, but Annabeth was pushing it, sitting at Poseidon’s table so long. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll talk later.” Annabeth squeezed his hand a little too hard. “Convince him, will you?” She returned to the Athena table, ignoring all the people who were staring at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover buried his head in his hands. “I can’t do it, Percy. My Searcher’s licence. Pan. I’m going to lose it all. I’ll have to start a puppet theatre.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say that, man. I know you’ll be the one to do it. Remember what you said, when you first got your license? You’re going to find Pan.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked at Percy, teary-eyed. “Percy, you’re my best friend. You’ve seen me at my worst. Do you really think I could …” His voice faltered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I believe in you, G-man,” he said firmly, reaching across the table to put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover nodded hesitantly, sniffing and gulping down the last of his napkin. “I gotta go. See you later, Perce.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After he was gone, Percy looked over at Quintus. The man nodded gravely, like the two of them were sharing some dark secret. Then he went back to cutting his sausage with a dagger. Percy could have laughed - if only the guy knew what kind of secrets they really shared - but found he wasn’t quite in the mood. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In the afternoon Percy went down to the pegasus stables to visit Blackjack, for no particular reason. Well, maybe it was because he felt bad that they wouldn’t see much of each other for a while. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yo, boss! </span>
  </em>
  <span>The pegasus capered around in his stall, his black wings buffeting the air. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ya bring me some sugar cubes? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know those aren’t good for you, Blackjack.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, so you brought me some, huh? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy chuckled and pulled the pouch of sugar cubes from his pocket, holding them out on a flat palm. So maybe he favored some horses/horse-like animals more than others, sue him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So, we got any quests coming up? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Blackjack asked.</span>
  <em>
    <span> I’m ready to fly, boss!</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy hummed, petting Blackjack’s muzzle as the thought about what to say. “I think so, but I’m not sure we’re flying anywhere. Sounds like we’ll be messing with some underground mazes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blackjack whinnied nervously. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nuh~uh. Not for this horse! You ain’t gonna be crazy enough to go in no maze, boss. Are ya? You’ll end up in the glue factory!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm. Something tells me we’ll be alright. But yeah, it’s probably better if you stay top-side, buddy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blackjack crunched down his sugar cubes. He shook his mane like he was having a sugar seizure. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Whoa! Good stuff! Well, boss, you come to your senses and want to fly somewhere, just give a whistle. Ole Blackjack and his buddies, we’ll stampede anybody for ya! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy said he’d keep that in mind, and departed just as a group of young campers came by for their lessons. He had an uncomfortable feeling in his chest, like all the times before something really bad happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>That night after dinner, Quintus had them all suit up in combat armour like they were getting ready for capture the flag, but the mood among the campers was a lot more serious. Sometime during the day, the crates in the arena had disappeared, and it wasn’t just Percy who was sure that their contents had ended up in the woods. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Quintus said, standing on the head dining table. “Gather round.” He was dressed in black leather and bronze. In the torchlight, his grey hair made him look like a ghost. Mrs O’Leary bounded happily around him, foraging for dinner scraps. “You will be in teams of two,” Quintus announced. When everybody started talking and trying to grab their friends, he yelled: “Which have already been chosen!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“AWWWWW!” everybody complained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your goal is simple: collect the gold laurels without dying. The wreath is wrapped in a silk package, tied to the back of one of the monsters. There are six monsters. Each has a silk package. Only one holds the laurels. You must find the wreath before the other teams. And of course … You will have to slay the monster to get it, and stay alive.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd started murmuring excitedly. The task sounded pretty straightforward, after all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will now announce your partners,” Quintus said. “There will be no trading. No switching. No complaining.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aroooof!”  Mrs O’Leary buried her face in a plate of pizza. Quintus produced a big scroll and started reading off names. Beckendorf would be with Silena Beauregard, which they both looked pretty happy about. The Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor, would be together. No surprise there. Clarisse was with Lee Fletcher from the Apollo cabin – melee and ranged combat combined, they would be a tough combo to beat. Nico was with someone else from the Hermes cabin, Randy or something. Quintus kept rattling off the names until he said, “Percy Jackson with Annabeth Chase.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth said nothing, but there was nothing to be said. They were an awesome pair, and there’d be no doubt of their victory… if they weren’t destined to lose a few hours. Necessary evils. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Grover Underwood,” Quintus said, “with Tyson.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover just about jumped out of his goat fur. “What? B-but-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, no,” Tyson whimpered. “Must be a mistake. Goat boy-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No complaining!” Quintus ordered. “Get with your partner. You have two minutes to prepare!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson and Grover both looked at Percy pleadingly. Unfortunately with the satyr’s track record with cyclops’s, and his brother’s dislike for satyrs, there was little he could do but nod encouragingly and hoped they worked things out. Tyson sneezed. Grover started chewing nervously on his wooden club. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’ll be fine,” Annabeth said.  “Come on. Let’s worry about how we’re going to stay alive.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded. “Can’t always choose who you fight with.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was still light when they got into the woods, but the shadows from the trees made it feel like much later. It was cold, too, even in summer. He and Annabeth found tracks almost immediately – scuttling marks made by something with a lot of legs. They began to follow the trail. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The two jumped a creek and heard some twigs snapping nearby; crouching behind a boulder, they waited, but it was only the Stoll brothers tripping through the woods and cursing. Their dad was the god of thieves, but they were about as stealthy as water buffaloes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once the Stolls had passed, they forged deeper into the west woods, where the monsters were wilder. They were standing on a ledge overlooking a marshy pond when Percy stopped. Something seemed familiar about this place, but he couldn’t place what - he was fairly sure he hadn’t been around this part of the woods recently enough to remember it more than any other sliver of the woods.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth looked at him questioningly, like </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘what are you doing seaweed brain?’ </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shook his head. “Just… deja vu.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clearly she thought he was an idiot from the look on her face, but he just started walking again. Training Nico had worn him out last night, that was all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking her head, Annabeth followed him without another word. They were barely into the clearing around Zeus’s fist when a branch snapped in the woods. Dry leaves rustled. Something large was moving in the trees, just beyond the ridge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not the Stoll brothers,” Annabeth whispered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Together they drew their weapons, and slowly circled the pile of boulders, looking and listening for the enemy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Over there,” she whispered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded. Scuttling noises seemed to be coming from somewhere to their left, faint hissing noises coming from the same direction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” came a voice from behind, startling them both.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Put those down!” Juniper protested, when they whirled around to point their weapons in her direction. “Dryads don’t like sharp blades, okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Juniper,” Annabeth exhaled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?” Percy asked, wondering who the hell would just walk around in the middle of a monster hunt, especially if they didn’t like seeing weapons. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I live here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Okay, that’s fair. Dryads never wander far from their tree, and now that he was looking, he could even see the cluster of juniper at the edge of the clearing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you guys busy?” Juniper asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, we’re just in the middle of a deadly monster-hunting game,” he said, resting Riptide against his shoulders casually.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not busy,” Annabeth said. “What’s wrong, Juniper?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Juniper sniffled. She wiped her silky sleeve under her eyes. “It’s Grover. He seems so distraught. All year he’s been out looking for Pan. And every time he comes back, it’s worse. I thought maybe, at first, he was seeing another tree.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Annabeth set a hand on the dryad’s shoulder as she started crying. “I’m sure that’s not it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He had a crush on a blueberry bush once,” Juniper said miserably. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Juniper,” Annabeth said, “Grover would never even look at another tree. He’s just stressed out about his searcher’s licence.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frankly, Percy was offended on his friend’s behalf that anyone would think the guy was a cheater, but he left the talking to the girls. He wasn’t going to tread on a territory he had, admittedly, very little experience with - Annabeth was the only girl he’d ever been with. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He can’t go underground!” she protested. “You can’t let him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth looked uncomfortable. “It might be the only way to help him; if we just knew where to start.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah.” Juniper wiped a green tear off her cheek. “About that …” Another rustle in the woods interrupted her, and Juniper yelled, “Hide!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before either of them could ask why, she went </span>
  <em>
    <span>poof </span>
  </em>
  <span>into green mist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Annabeth turned. Coming out of the woods was a glistening amber insect, three metres long, with jagged pincers, an armoured tail and a sting as long as Anaklusmos. A scorpion. Tied to its back was a red silk package. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One of us gets behind it,” Annabeth said, as the thing clattered towards them. “Cut off its tail while the other distracts it in front.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take point,” he said. “You’ve got your cap?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. They’d fought together so many times, even just in the past few years. It was easy. That didn’t stop Percy from feeling like something was wrong as they took the scorpion down and checked the red pouch on it’s back. No laurels. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t quite put his mind on what was wrong until wise girl mentioned: “I think someone already fought this one. It was slow, looked they got it in the leg and ran.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re right… but why would anyone run away from just one scorpion?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe there </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>just one. They could’ve gotten the laurels from another scorpion and were heading back to announce their victory.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So they just criplled it and ran away? That’s a little unsportsmanlike…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Awkwardly, Percy re-capped Riptide. He was about to try and think of a way to get them to ‘find’ the Labyrinth entrance now, when he realized something - if there was just one scorpion now, what had happened to the other two? Turning in a slow circle, he studied the ground and lower boulders for signs of a fight. What he saw didn’t paint a very pretty picture: scuff marks from at least two people and several large scorpions. There was a fight here, but a short-lived one. There weren’t any signs the half-bloods had run away, but there also weren’t any noticeable blood-stains. But rock doesn’t leave foot-prints… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy…” Annabeth muttered, scanning the ground just as he had, and coming to a similar conclusion, by the tone of her voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy looked up at the pile of boulders that formed Zeus’s fist, and started climbing. There were plenty of crevices, but only one that were showcased in a decent number of his nightmares. Big enough to fit a person, but not any giant scorpions - the exact reason they’d discovered it the first time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t go in, not right away - he waited for Annabeth to catch up. Carefully, she leaned her head in and called, “Hello?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No one answered. Percy had the advantage of knowing it was because no one would be able to hear them from inside if they wanted to, but he could see the panic in her eyes when the silence stretched on. As far as she knew, someone could still be hiding down there, injured and unable to call for help. There’d be no way to dissuade her from at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>checking</span>
  </em>
  <span> now, which he really shouldn’t be thinking of as a good thing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Behind them, he could see the purple evening sky and the trees, and then the hole shut like the lens of a camera. They were trapped in total darkness, breaths echoing against stone. It was cold and wet, the floor bumpy enough that he’d know it was made of brick, even if he didn’t remember this hallway so vividly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Uncapping his sword, the faint glow of the blade was just enough to light up  Annabeth’s frightened face and the mossy stone walls on either side of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wh-where are we?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No clue,” he shrugged. “Don’t see anyone around, though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taking a few steps forward and holding his sword out as far as his arm would reach, he verified that statement easily enough. No one was within ten feet of the entrance, and that was about as far as he was willing to go. Who knew how much time had passed outside already? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That’s when he stepped on something not made of brick, as he turned to suggest they leave. It was smoother, and he heard it scrape against the brick as he lifted his foot to get a better look. It was a card. A Mythomagic card. Hades, with four-thousand attack-points. He knew it at a glance, because Nico carried it with him everywhere after finding out who his dad was - he barely let anyone else touch it. (Percy could sympathize. His thoughts drifted to a certain blue shoebox, with just three letters and a sand dollar inside.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We need to find the exit,” Annabeth whispered. The fact that she wasn’t curious enough to ask about what he’d picked up said more than her words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a sick feeling in his gut, Percy nodded. If the kid wasn’t nearby, they probably wouldn’t find him and still be able to get back out in the end. Carefully, he slipped it into his pocket without showing Annabeth. Then, gripping Riptide tightly, he walked back over to her and tried not to look too upset.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he reached her side, Annabeth gripped his hand like a vice. He returned the gesture, and together they took two careful steps backwards. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she said. “Help me examine the walls.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded. The mark of Daedalus was simple and fairly easy to recognize, at least. After a few quiet seconds of searching, Annebeth shouted, “Got it!” with relief. She set her hand on the wall and pressed against a tiny fissure, which began to glow blue. A Greek symbol appeared: Δ, the Ancient Greek Delta. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The roof slid open and they saw the night sky, stars blazing. Metal ladder rungs appeared in the side of the wall, leading up. Distantly, he could hear people shouting. Some were calling for Nico and someone called Riley, others were calling for himself and Annabeth. Tyson’s voice was the loudest, but it must’ve been at least a dozen people shouting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two shared a look, and they began to climb.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>They met up with Clarisse and a few other campers carrying torches, as they rounded the corner of Zeus’s Fist.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where have you two been?” Clarisse demanded. “We’ve been looking forever. And where are the other idiots?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We don’t know where they are,” Percy started cautiously, because technically they didn’t; and he wasn’t going to bring up the maze in the middle of the night in earshot of half a dozen other campers. “We were only gone a minute.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron trotted up, followed by Tyson and Grover. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy!” Tyson said. “You are okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re fine, big guy. Just went in a hole for a bit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The others looked at him sceptically, then at Annabeth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seriously! We found signs of a fight but it didn’t look like anyone walked away from it. There was a hole in the rocks and we checked it out, we were only gone a few minutes at most.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been missing for almost an hour,” Chiron said. “The game is over.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Grover muttered. “We would’ve won, but a Cyclops sat on me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was an accident!”  Tyson protested, and then he sneezed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clarisse was wearing the gold laurels, but she didn’t seem in a bragging mood. “You found a hole?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth took a deep breath. She looked around at the other campers. “Chiron … maybe we should talk about this at the Big House.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clarisse gasped. “You found it, didn’t you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth bit her lip. “I – Yeah. Yeah, we did.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A bunch of campers started asking questions, looking confused and worried, but Chiron raised his hand for silence. “Tonight is not the right time, and this is not the right place.” He stared at the boulders as if he’d just noticed how dangerous they were. “All of you, back to your cabins. Get some sleep. A game well played, but curfew is past!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a lot of mumbling and complaints, but the campers drifted off, talking amongst themselves and giving Annabeth and Percy suspicious looks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This explains a lot,” Clarisse said. “It explains what Luke is after.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded, glancing back at the opening they’d just come from.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth was the one who finally voiced it, no one else willing to speak in the following silence. “An entrance to the Labyrinth. An invasion route straight into the heart of the camp.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Chiron had insisted they talk about it in the morning, which was fair. It was big news, and it had already been a long day. As much as he was itching to act now, it’d be better to do something in the morning when they had the advantage of a good night’s rest - and a campfull of awake, alert campers around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He might have passed out somewhere around three am. It was hard to get over the fact that Nico was missing, and the only thing that even remotely comforted him was that the kid had Tyson’s shield with him. (Something he gave to the kid for most capture the flag games, more confident in his own abilities to dodge and block than Nico’s.) He might not even be alone, if he and that girl from the Hermes cabin fell into the Labyrinth together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he finally let some semblance of sleep take him, Percy dreamt of a prison.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a man in a Greek tunic and sandals crouching alone in a massive stone room; the ceiling was open to the night sky, but the walls were seven metres high and polished marble, completely smooth. Scattered around the room were wooden crates. Some were cracked and tipped over, as if they’d been flung in there. Bronze tools spilled out of one - a compass, and various other things he didn’t know the name of but he vaguely recognized the shapes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy huddled in the corner, shivering from cold. Maybe fear, too. He was spattered in mud, and his legs, arms and face were scraped up as if he’d been dragged here along with the boxes. He looked familiar, but not as much as the old man that carelessly flung into the room by two guards moments later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Father!” The boy ran to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man’s robes were in tatters. His hair was streaked with grey, and his beard was long and curly. His nose had been broken, lips bloody. Daedalus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy took the old man’s head in his arms. “What did they do to you?” he demanded. Then, to the guards, “I’ll kill you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There will be no killing today,” a voice said. The guards moved aside. Behind them stood a tall man in white robes. He wore a thin circlet of gold on his head, with a silver beard pointier than any spear Percy had seen. His eyes glittered cruelly. “You helped the Athenian kill my Minotaur, Daedalus. You turned my own daughter against me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did that yourself, Your Majesty,” the old man croaked. A guard planted a kick in the old man’s ribs. He groaned in agony. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The young boy (Icky-something?) cried, “Stop it!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You love your maze so much,” the king said, “I have decided to let you stay here. This will be your workshop. Make me new wonders. Amuse me. Every maze needs a monster. You shall be mine!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t fear you,” the old man groaned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The king smiled coldly. He locked his eyes on the boy. “But a man cares about his son, eh? Displease me, old man, and the next time my guards inflict a punishment, it will be on him!” The king swept out of the room with his guards, and the doors slammed shut, leaving the boy and his father alone in the darkness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What will we do?” the boy moaned. (Icarus, right, the arrogant son) “Father, they will kill you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daedalus swallowed with difficulty. He tried to smile, but it was a gruesome sight with his bloody mouth. “Take heart, my son.” He gazed up at the stars. “I – I will find a way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A bar lowered across the doors with a fatal BOOM, and Percy woke in a cold sweat. Unfortunately not an unusual morning for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy was still trying to feel normal enough to be around people when Chiron called a war council. They met in the sword arena, which might not have been the smartest idea. Trying to make plans while Mrs O’Leary chewed on a life–size squeaky pink rubber yak ten feet away was a bit difficult. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron and Quintus stood at the front by the weapon racks. Clarisse and Annabeth sat next to each other and led the briefing. Tyson and Grover sat as far away from each other as possible. Also present around the table were Juniper, Silena Beauregard, Travis and Connor Stoll, Beckendorf, Lee Fletcher, even Argus, the hundred-eyed security chief. That, above all things, is how everyone knew shit was going down. Argus only showed up at the most critical meetings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luke must have known about the Labyrinth entrance,” Annabeth said. “He knew everything about camp.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Juniper cleared her throat. “That’s what I was trying to tell you last night. The cave entrance has been there a long time. Luke used to use it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silena Beauregard frowned. “You knew about the Labyrinth entrance, and you didn’t say anything?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Juniper’s face turned green. “I didn’t know it was important. Just a cave. I don’t like yucky old caves.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She has good taste,” Grover said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t have paid any attention except… well, it was Luke.” She blushed a little greener. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover huffed. “Forget what I said about good taste.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Interesting.” Quintus polished his sword as he spoke. “And you believe this young man, Luke, would dare use the Labyrinth as an invasion route?”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Definitely,” Clarisse said. “If he could get an army of monsters inside Camp Half-Blood, just pop up in the middle of the woods without having to worry about our magical boundaries, we wouldn’t stand a chance. He could wipe us out easy. He must’ve been planning this for months.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s been sending scouts into the maze,” Annabeth said. “We know because… because we found one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chris Rodriguez,” Chiron said. He gave Quintus a meaningful look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” Quintus said. “The one in the… Yes. I understand.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clarisse seemed to be in a very scowly-mood this morning. Percy almost didn’t notice it, because he was having trouble making eye-contact with anyone at the moment. It was one of </span>
  <em>
    <span>those </span>
  </em>
  <span>days. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The point is,” Clarisse broke in, “Luke has been looking for a way to navigate the maze. He’s searching for Daedalus’s workshop.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth nodded along, providing context for a few not paying much attention. (Mainly the Stolls, who seemed to be trying to mess with Mrs O’Leary somehow.) “The greatest architect, the greatest inventor of all time. If the legends are true, his workshop is in the centre of the Labyrinth. He’s the only one who knew how to navigate the maze perfectly. If Luke managed to find the workshop and convince Daedalus to help him, Luke wouldn’t have to fumble around searching for paths, or risk losing his army in the maze’s traps. He could navigate anywhere he wanted – quickly and safely. First to Camp Half-Blood to wipe us out. Then… to Olympus.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The arena was silent except for Mrs O’Leary’s toy yak getting disembowelled: SQUEAK! SQUEAK! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally Beckendorf put his huge hands on the table. “Back up a sec. Annabeth, you said ‘convince Daedalus’. Isn’t Daedalus dead?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quintus grunted. “I would hope so. He lived, what, three thousand years ago? And, even if he were alive, don’t the old stories say he fled from the Labyrinth?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy was a little jealous of how easily the old man lied. One can learn a lot in three millenia, huh? Or maybe he was good at it before that. Absently, he twisted the ring resting on his thumb, but it didn’t seem as comforting when he could barely feel the pressure in his left hand, now. The pit in his chest that he’d been struggling with since he woke up grew just a bit wider with the realization. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron clopped restlessly on his hooves. “That’s the problem, my dear Quintus. No one knows. There are rumours… well, there are many disturbing rumours about Daedalus, but one is that he disappeared back into the Labyrinth towards the end of his life. He might still be down there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We need to go in,” Annabeth announced. “We have to find the workshop before Luke does. If Daedalus is alive, we convince him to help us, not Luke. If Ariadne’s string still exists, we make sure it never falls into Luke’s hands.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The words were clipped and obviously forced, but Percy finally chipped in: “We also need to look for Nico. And Riley,” he added the last part as an afterthought, which he might’ve felt bad about if he could bring himself to look up at anyone who might be judging him for it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron chimed in, “Indeed, we will be organizing a search party shortly. Unfortunately, our search efforts last night proved-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I mean… in the Labyrinth. I found this while me and Annabeth were down there.” He pulled the Mythomagic card from his pocket - he hadn’t let go of it since he’d picked it up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At least it didn’t seem like he had to explain to anyone what it was; Nico talked obsessively about the game to anyone in his general vicinity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grimly, the camp director nodded. “Whoever goes may search for them in the Labyrinth, but I must ask that it not interfere with the primary goal, if possible.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth looked pale at the revelation, but just as quickly the steel came back to her eyes. “It won’t. This is our only chance to hold Luke back - we can’t destroy or block off the entrance, all we can do is make sure he never finds it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could fight,” Lee Fletcher said. “We know where the entrance is now. We can set up a defensive line and wait for them. If an army tries to come through, they’ll find us waiting with our bows.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We will certainly set up defences,” Chiron agreed. “But I fear Clarisse is right. The magical borders have kept this camp safe for hundreds of years. If Luke manages to get a large army of monsters into the centre of camp, bypassing our boundaries… we may not have the strength to defeat them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nobody looked very happy at that proclamation. Chiron usually tried to be upbeat and optimistic. If he was vocally predicting the worst case scenarios, it didn’t bode well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have to get to Daedalus’s workshop first,” Annabeth insisted. “Find Ariadne’s string and prevent Luke from using it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But if we don’t have the string,” Percy said, staring resolutely at his sneakers, “how do we explore the Labyrinth without getting lost?” Plan, predict, prepare. They didn’t need anymore close calls than they’d already dealt with, with Luke and his army. Things had only gone well so far </span>
  <em>
    <span>because </span>
  </em>
  <span>things were happening like he remembered, but wasn’t the whole point of this to do things better than they had before? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been studying architecture for years,” Annabeth said. “I know Daedalus’s Labyrinth better than anybody.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>More reassuring than it’d sound to most people, but only because he had so much faith in her abilities. Maybe he looked crazy for acquiescing to that with just a nod, but no one questioned her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few feet away, Mrs O’Leary’s squeaky yak went EEK! as she ripped off its pink rubber head. Chiron cleared his throat. “First things first. We need a quest. Someone must enter the Labyrinth, find the workshop of Daedalus and prevent Luke from using the maze to invade this camp.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We all know who should lead this,” Clarisse said. “Annabeth.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a murmur of agreement. Percy knew she'd been waiting for her own quest for years by now, but Annabeth looked uncomfortable. “You’ve done as much as I have, Clarisse,” she said. “You should go, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clarisse shook her head. “I’m not going back in there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Travis Stoll laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re scared. Clarisse, chicken?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clarisse got to her feet, looking like she might pulverize someone, but her voice was shaky when she spoke: “You don’t understand anything, punk. I’m never going in there again. Never!” She stormed out of the arena. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><em><span>After seeing what it did to Chris, who </span></em><span>would</span><em><span> want</span></em> <em><span>to go? </span></em><span>Percy mused. Certain present parties aside, of course. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Travis looked around sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron raised his hand. “The poor girl has had a difficult year. Now, do we have agreement that Annabeth should lead the quest?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all nodded except Quintus. He folded his arms and stared at the table, contemplative. Percy wasn’t sure anyone else was paying attention, though. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very well.” Chiron turned to Annabeth. “My dear, it’s your time to visit the Oracle. Assuming you return to us in one piece, we shall discuss what to do next.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Waiting for Annabeth was harder than he thought it’d be. He was anxious to see how the prophecy would change from last time - it had to, Nico wasn’t out for revenge over his sister anymore. Not that there weren’t a dozen others Percy could think of that could come for their revenge against him, but most of them would never be in the Labyrinth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, he just sat down as far from Mrs O’Leary as possible - she was in the middle of eating her lunch, which consisted of fifty kilograms of ground beef and several dog biscuits the size of trashcan lids. Briefly, he wondered where someone could buy dog biscuits that big, if you weren’t supposed to keep hellhounds as pets. Maybe from the same place Hades got stuff for Cerberus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Chiron was deep in conversation with Quintus and Argus. It looked like they were disagreeing about something; Quintus kept shaking his head. On the other side of the arena, Tyson and the Stoll brothers were racing miniature bronze chariots that Tyson had made out of armour scraps. At least it didn’t look fatally dangerous.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking his head, Percy stood up again. But there was no amount of pacing that’d make him feel better, so he just left the arena. It was against the rules to snoop on someone else’s prophecy, but there was someone else there he felt like he needed to see. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The front parlour of the Big House was unnaturally quiet. Without Mr D. there, that made sense. He walked down the hallway, floorboards creaking underfoot. When he got to the base of the stairs, he turned his eyes down instead of up. There was a sound coming from the basement that shouldn’t have surprised him. Sobbing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The basement door was open, so he quietly stepped in. Sitting amid a bunch of stockpiled cases of ambrosia and strawberry preserves were two figures. One was Clarisse, the other was a Hispanic teenager in tattered camouflage combats and a dirty black T-shirt. His hair was greasy and matted. He was hugging his shoulders and sobbing. Chris Rodriguez.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Clarisse was telling him. “Try a little more nectar.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re an illusion, Mary!” Chris backed further into the corner. “G-get away.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My name’s not Mary.” Clarisse’s voice was gentle but unmistakably sad. “My name is Clarisse. Remember. Please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s dark!” Chris yelled. “So dark!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come outside,” Clarisse coaxed. “The sunlight will help you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A… a thousand skulls. The earth keeps healing him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Something painful stung in Percy’s chest, because he could sympathize. Not with Clarisse, but Chris. He used to have nightmares that made it impossible to tell when you’d really woken up. He still did, but there was over a decade of practice dealing with them on his shoulders, too. Annabeth - </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>Annabeth, the one that had been twenty-seven when he last saw her, had a scar on her jaw from when he’d woken up screaming once. She’d gotten too close when he wasn’t all there yet and he’d scratched her, deep. It had been an unpleasant reminder of a lot of things for them both.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chris,” Clarisse pleaded. It sounded like she was close to tears. “You have to get better. Please. Mr D. will be back soon. He’s an expert in madness. Just hang on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chris’s eyes were like a cornered rat’s – wild and desperate. “There’s no way out, Mary. No way out.” Then he caught a glimpse of Percy and made a strangled, terrified sound. “The son of Poseidon! He’s horrible!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He backed away, a few steps into the hallway to be out of sight again. Clarisse clearly didn’t think he’d actually seen anyone, because she just kept talking to Chris in a sad pleading voice, trying to get him to drink the nectar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Distantly, there was a sound like a door opening upstairs. As Percy turned to leave, he already regretted coming in the first place. The feeling in his chest was worse than ever, and he could feel the skin on the back of his neck rubbing off as he tugged and twisted the leather cord of his camp necklace. That’d be a funny scar to have, he thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Everything’s funny if you look at it the right way. Just focus on the positive, Percy. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“My dear,” Chiron said. “You made it.” Annabeth walked into the arena. She sat on a stone bench and stared at the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well?” Quintus asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth looked at Percy first. She was afraid of something, clearly. Then she focused on Quintus. “I got the prophecy. I will lead the quest to find Daedalus’s workshop.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nobody cheered. A quest like this wasn’t really one to be excited about. Chiron scraped a hoof on the dirt floor. “What did the prophecy say exactly, my dear? The wording is important.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth took a deep breath. “I, ah… well, it said, ‘You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze…. The dead, the traitor and the lost one raise’.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover perked up. “The lost one! That must mean Pan! That’s great!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And?” Chiron asked. “What is the rest?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘You shall rise or fall by the ghost king’s hand, the child of Athena’s final stand,’” she finished. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone looked around uncomfortably; Annabeth was a daughter of Athena, and a final stand didn’t sound good. Percy was more worried about how it didn’t sound different at all than last time he’d heard this prophecy. The last two had changed, why wasn’t this one any different?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey… we shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Silena said. “Annabeth isn’t the only child of Athena, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But who’s this ghost king?” Beckendorf asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No one answered. Uncomfortably, he glanced at Annabeth and then Grover. They seemed to be thinking the same thing as him, but none of them were willing to volunteer the information. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are there more lines?” Chiron asked. “The prophecy does not sound complete.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth hesitated. “I don’t remember exactly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron raised an eyebrow. Annabeth was known for her memory. She shifted on her bench. “Something about… Destroy with a hero’s final breath.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And?” Chiron asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Destroy with a hero's final breath, And lose a love to worse than death, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Percy thought grimly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stood. “Look, the point is, I have to go in. I’ll find the workshop and stop Luke. And… I need help.” She turned to Percy. “Will you come?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” he nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She smiled for the first time in days, and that made it all worthwhile. “Grover, you too? The wild god is waiting.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover seemed to forget how much he hated the underground. The line about the ‘lost one’ had completely energized him. “I’ll pack extra recyclables for snacks!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And Tyson,” Annabeth said. “I’ll need you, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yay! Blow-things-up time!” Tyson clapped so hard he woke up Mrs O’Leary, who was dozing in the corner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Annabeth,” Chiron said. “This goes against the ancient laws. A hero is allowed only two companions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I need them all,” she insisted. “Chiron, it’s important.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Annabeth.” The centaur flicked his tail nervously. “Consider well. You would be breaking the ancient laws, and there are always consequences. Last winter, five went on a quest to save Artemis. Not all of them came back. Think on that. Three is a sacred number. There are three Fates, three Furies, three Olympian sons of Kronos. It is a good strong number that stands against many dangers. Four… this is risky.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth took a deep breath. “I know. But we have to. Please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron didn’t like it, but he also seemed resigned that this was something Annabeth was doing whether he wanted her to or not. Quintus was studying them, like he was trying to decide which one wouldn’t come back. Percy thought about the last time he went on a quest with more than three people, and dug his fingers into the place where flesh met metal on his forearm. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Better than losing a whole person, </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the mantra he used to flush out the other, less pleasant thoughts that came to mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron sighed. “Very well. Let us adjourn. The members of the quest must prepare themselves. Tomorrow at dawn, we send you into the Labyrinth.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quintus pulled him aside as the council was breaking up. “I have a bad feeling about this,” he said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mrs O’Leary came over, wagging her tail happily. She dropped her shield at Percy’s feet, and he threw it for her. Quintus watched her romp after it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like the idea of you going down there,’ he finally said. “Any of you. But if you must, I want you to remember something. The Labyrinth exists to fool you. It will distract you. That’s dangerous for half-bloods. We are easily distracted.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a look of concern in his eyes, and Percy didn’t doubt that this advice was genuine, at least. If anyone knew how much the Labyrinth was to be feared, it should be it’s creator. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you’ve been there before?” he asked lightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Long ago.” His voice was ragged. “I barely escaped with my life. Most who enter aren’t that lucky.” He set a hand on Percy’s shoulder. “Percy, keep your mind on what matters most. If you can do that, you might find the way. And, here, I wanted to give you something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quintus passed him a small silver tube. It was ice-cold, so much so that Percy almost dropped it. As it was, he quickly stuffed it in his pocket and looked back up at the older half-blood before him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A dog whistle,” Quintus said. “For Mrs O’Leary.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Stygian ice. One use only. He thanked Quintus, and left after tossing the shield for Mrs O’Leary one more time. Mixed feelings for the man aside, he had other things to focus on at the moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d been inside the Athena cabin a few times, but not enough to remember the inside too clearly. If he and Annabeth wanted to hang out, they always went to his own cabin since it was more private. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the outside, it was just a silvery building. Nothing fancy, with plain white curtains and a carved stone owl over the doorway. But inside, the place was clearly a workshop for brainiac kids. The bunks were all pushed against one wall as if sleeping didn’t matter very much, the freed up space filled instead with workbenches and tables and sets of tools and weapons. The back of the room was a huge library, crammed with old scrolls and leather-bound books and paperbacks. There was an architect’s draughting table with a bunch of rulers and protractors, and some 3-D models of buildings. Huge old war maps were plastered to the ceiling, sets of armour hung under the windows, their bronze plates glinting in the sun. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth stood in the back of the room, rifling through old scrolls. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Knock knock?” he called, suddenly feeling a little rude for just walking in. Though he got the feeling that even if anyone else had been inside, they wouldn’t have noticed him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned with a start. “Oh… hi. Didn’t hear you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You alright in here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She frowned at the scroll in her hands. “Just trying to do some research. Daedalus’s Labyrinth is so huge. None of the stories agree about anything. The maps just lead from nowhere to nowhere.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well it wouldn’t be so dangerous if you could just draw a linear map of it, I guess. But we’ve done the impossible before, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her hair had come loose and was hanging in a tangled blonde curtain all around her face. Her grey eyes looked almost black. “I’ve wanted to lead a quest since I was seven,” she said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you’re going to be awesome. You already are,” he said with a smile, stepping closer and searching the table briefly. When he found what he was looking for, he snatched the hair tie up and motioned for her to turn around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gave him a grateful look and did so, but then she looked back down at all the books and scrolls she’d pulled from the shelves. “I’m worried, Percy. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked you to do this. Or Tyson and Grover.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, what are friends for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But…” She stopped herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew she was conflicted because of the prophecy. The last line wasn’t exactly pleasant, after all, and keeping it to herself just meant she was handling all of the pressure alone. But he couldn’t just tell her he knew that everything would be okay, so he focused instead on the loose braid he was working on, and hummed to let her know he was listening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was shivering, easily visible from this close. “What if Chriron’s right?” she muttered. “I’m breaking the rules. I could be putting us all in danger but I don’t know what else to do. I need you three. It just feels right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then there’s nothing to worry about. Sometimes we just have to go with our guts, wise girl. You stood by me when I wanted to fight a literal god, remember?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is different. I don’t want anything happening to… any of you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy was struck with a sudden realization. Even if she could guess it was a possibility, Annabeth didn’t know the prophecy was about </span>
  <em>
    <span>Luke. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tying off her hair gently, he stepped around to face her and held his arms out. She smiled appreciatively and hugged him. It was nice, for all of two minutes before someone cleared their throat a few feet away. It was one of Annabeth’s half-brothers, Malcolm. His face was bright red.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um, sorry,” he said. “Archery practice is starting, Annabeth. Chiron said to come find you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stepped away and nodded to Malcolm. “We were just talking,” he said, mostly to let the kid know that snitches would get more than stitches in Camp Halfblood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Malcolm stared back awkwardly. “Okay.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tell Chiron I’ll be right there,” Annabeth said, and Malcolm left in a hurry. Annabeth rubbed her eyes. “You go ahead, Percy. I’d better get ready for archery.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded, and turned to go, but something stopped him. It felt like he should say something, but what? Tugging on the cord of his camp necklace, Percy stalled for a few seconds before he kept walking; leaving Annabeth behind with her maps that lead from nowhere to nowhere. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>It’d be hilarious to think he’d finally get a good night’s rest the night before a quest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That night in his dreams, Percy stood in the stateroom of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Princess Andromeda.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The windows were open on a moonlit sea, and a cold wind rustled the velvet drapes. Luke knelt on a Persian rug in front of the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the moonlight, Luke’s blond hair looked pure white. He wore an Ancient Greek chiton and a white himation. The white clothes made him look timeless and a little unreal, like one of the minor gods on Mount Olympus. He looked entirely too well for someone who had supposedly fallen from a fatal height just a few months ago. (And just a bit like an improved Octavian…) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Our spies report success, my lord,” he said. “Camp Half-Blood is sending a quest, as you predicted. Our side of the bargain is almost complete.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Excellent. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The voice of Kronos didn’t so much speak as he pushed his thoughts onto other people, regardless of whether or not they wanted to hear. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Once we have the means to navigate, I will lead the vanguard through myself. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke closed his eyes as if collecting his thoughts. “My lord, perhaps it is too soon. Perhaps Krios or Hyperion should lead-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The Titan’s voice was absolutely firm.</span>
  <em>
    <span> I will lead. One more heart shall join our cause, and that will be sufficient. At last, I shall rise fully from Tartarus. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But the form, my lord…” Luke’s voice started shaking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Show me your sword, Luke Castellan. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke drew his sword. Backbiter’s double edge glowed wickedly – half steel, half celestial bronze. Percy distinctly remembered the feeling of it piercing one of his lungs a few years ago. Honestly, he would’ve taken the scorpion if he’d known what the alternative was going to be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You pledged yourself to me,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kronos reminded. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You took this sword as proof of your oath. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, my lord. It’s just-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You wanted power. I gave you that. You are now beyond harm. Soon you will rule the world of gods and mortals. Do you not wish to avenge yourself? To see Olympus destroyed?</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A shiver wracked Luke’s entire body, like someone had walked on his ancestor’s grave. “Yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The coffin glowed, golden light filling the room.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Then make ready the strike force. As soon as the bargain is done, we shall move forward. First, Camp Half-Blood will be reduced to ashes. Once those bothersome heroes are eliminated, we will march on Olympus. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a knock on the stateroom doors. The light of the coffin faded. Luke rose. He sheathed his sword, adjusted his white clothes, and took a deep breath. “Come in.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The doors opened. Two dracaenae slithered in – snake women with double serpent trunks instead of legs. Between them walked Kelli, the empousa cheerleader from Goode. So she was back already, huh? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Luke.” Kelli smiled. She was wearing a red dress that looked entirely too disarming for what it was hiding beneath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is it, demon?” Luke’s voice was cold. “I told you not to disturb me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kelli pouted. “That’s not very nice. You look tense. How about a nice shoulder massage?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke stepped back. “If you have something to report, say it. Otherwise leave!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know why you’re so huffy these days. You used to be fun to hang out with.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was before I saw what you did to that boy in Seattle.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, he meant nothing to me,” Kelli said. “Just a snack, really. You know my heart belongs to you, Luke.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, but no thanks. Now report or get out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kelli shrugged. “Fine. The advance team is ready, as you requested. We can leave-” She frowned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Luke asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A presence,” she said. “Your senses are getting dull, Luke. We’re being watched.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy had almost forgotten the empusa’s annoying ability to sense others watching, even through dreams. But it wasn’t like could just wake himself up, so he waited as her eyes finally landed on him, and stayed there. She bared her fangs and lunged. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He woke with a start, heart pounding. It felt like the empusa’s fangs had actually torn into his throat, and he felt himself lifting a hand to check that his jugular was, in fact, still in one piece. It shouldn’t have been surprising that it was, but it made him feel better to check. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson was snoring in the next bunk. The sound was familiar, and grounded him as he sorted through all that he’d heard. The army was ready. Kronos would lead it personally. All they needed was a way to navigate the Labyrinth so they could invade and destroy Camp Half-Blood, and Luke was confident they’d be able to do so very soon. It all made his gut twist, and briefly made him feel guilty for having been so focused on Nico since the kid had disappeared. As much as it hurt to admit, there were more important things at stake here. There always were. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking his head, Percy carded his fingers through his hair, pushing it away from his face. It had gotten longer recently. Not enough to be in the way, but his bangs were just shy of passing his eyebrows now, and the ends almost tickled his shoulders. He didn’t really care if his hair was long or short, he’d just been too mentally preoccupied to do anything about it lately, and his mom hadn’t said anything during the school year. Rolling out of bed and making his way out of the cabin, shoes be damned, Percy thought that he might let it be for a while longer - maybe it’d look cool.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t a specific destination he had in mind as he wandered. He just kept out of sight and made a few loops around the cabins. The air was cool, and the grass and dirt underfoot was soft - no unexpected rocks or glass or cone fish. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That </span>
  </em>
  <span>had been a wild experience. The little guy hadn’t stung </span>
  <em>
    <span>Percy, </span>
  </em>
  <span>of course not, but it’d gotten Leo when the engineer asked to test some contraptions for how much water pressure they could take. They barely got him back to camp in time, and he’d been miserable for hours. It had been a little funny when Valdez demanded the cone fish be punished for sea-crimes when he was still delirious from the toxins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not for the first time, Percy wished that he could just go to bed and wake up back home. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>home, next to Annabeth in their shared apartment. Where they could go visit their friends for drinks in the evening, or just spend the day in bed watching movies. On the weekend, he’d leave for camp and spend a few days teaching kids how to fight with a sword, or ride a pegasus. Most importantly, he missed when all of their world-saving days were over, and he didn’t have to spend each summer earning a dozen new scars, physical and emotional. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a struggle not to hate himself for longing for that time again. Because now he had the chance to save all of the ones who hadn’t made it. Who never got to experience adulthood, or even the brief periods of peace between one war and the next. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nico has a sister now</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he was growing up happy and got to be the kid who was excited about trading cards and magic, instead of the sad, brooding Ghost King. Bianca was living free with a tribe of sisters who love her and a goddess  who respects her enough to make her a lieutenant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy felt sick knowing where the kid probably was right now. Terrified and running for his life in an ever-changing maze, instead of sleeping and getting ready for lessons and camp activities. And there was absolutely no way to find the son of Hades, even if he wanted to rush into the Labyrinth and rescue him right now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He re-entered Cabin Three just as the sun was rising. There wasn’t time to do much other than pack his bag for the Quest, but he tried to clean up a little in the bathroom before he left, anyway. He went through a mental tally of all the things he’d hastily shoved into his backpack as he made his way to Zeus’s fist to meet up with the others: a thermos of nectar, a bag of ambrosia, bedroll, rope, extra clothes, flashlights and lots of extra batteries. Riptide sat in his front pocket, a comforting pressure. Tyson’s shield was still with Nico, presumably, since no one had seen it in the forest and the kid was the last one to have it, always excited to have an actual magic item to use.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a clear morning. The fog had burned off and the sky was blue. Percy wondered sometimes, if Zeus and Poesidon didn’t get along, why the sky could look like a second ocean, at times. Or maybe that was just his imagination.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Juniper and Grover stood apart from the group. Juniper had been crying again, but she was trying to keep it together for Grover’s sake. She kept fussing with his clothes, straightening his Rasta cap and brushing goat fur off his shirt. Since there wasn’t any certainty what they’d encounter, he was dressed as a human, with a cap to hide his horns, and jeans, fake feet and trainers to hide his goat legs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron, Quintus and Mrs O’Leary stood with the other campers who’d come to wish them well, but there was too much activity for it to feel like a happy send-off. A couple of tents had been set up by the rocks for guard duty, Beckendorf and his siblings working on a line of defensive spikes and trenches not far off. Chiron had decided there needed to be someone guarding the Labyrinth exit at all times as a safety measure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth was doing one last check on her supply pack. When Tyson came over, she frowned. “Percy, you look terrible.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” he deadpanned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before she could ask any uncomfortable questions, Chiron trotted over. “Well, it appears you are ready!” He tried to sound upbeat, but Percy could see he was anxious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It felt bad giving him even more bad news, but it’d be better for the centaur to know and be prepared, at least. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Chiron, mind if I ask you something?” Percy asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, my boy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nodding towards the woods, he started walking without another word. Chiron raised an eyebrow, but followed him out of earshot all the same. Once they were far enough, Percy gave his counselor the details of his latest dream. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The news seemed to weigh on the centaur’s shoulders. “I feared this,” Chiron said. “Against my father, Kronos, we would stand no chance in a fight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then we’ll just kick his ass before he stands up,” the son of Poesidon tried to smile, but it was closer to a grimace. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron seemed to appreciate that at least, and Percy turned to go back to his friends. There really wasn’t much more to say - not unless he wanted to do some verbal tight-rope walk to get the counselor to give him more information that he already knew. Daedalus was dangerous for more reasons than one, and the only way to make sure Kronos couldn’t use him to get what he wanted would be to convince him, or… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, Quintus could make his own choices. For now, all Percy cared about was finding Nico and getting him out of the Labyrinth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You ready?” Annabeth asked when he made his way back over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nodding, he slipped a hand into his pocket to feel for Riptide. The Stygian ice whistle was there too, sending a shock of cold through his fingers as they brushed over it. A small distance away, Quintus was watching, and waved a hand in farewell. Percy nodded to him, and left it at that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take care,” Chiron told them, trotting back over. “And good hunting.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You, too,” he replied, following Annabeth to the crack between the boulders – the entrance to the maze. Grover and Tyson were standing there, waiting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Grover said nervously, “goodbye, sunshine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello, rocks,” Tyson agreed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And together, the four of them descended into darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He should have expected that having experience with the maze wouldn’t make it any easier to navigate. They were doomed from the first step in, but the others only seemed to acknowledge they were hopelessly lost after about thirty meters of wandering. It didn’t help that they were in a totally new section of the maze than what he and Annabeth had seen just the night before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy took a good look at the round, sewer-like tunnel they stood in now. There were iron-barred portholes at consistent intervals, with seemingly nothing beyond them. Even if he cut through the bars with Riptide or something, it wasn’t likely to get them anywhere. The darkness seemed to call out to him regardless, chilly whispers of nonsense that might’ve been more interesting if they weren’t so creepy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth tried her best to guide them somewhere. She had this idea that they should stick to the left wall, like it was a corn maze.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If we keep one hand on the left wall and follow it,” she said, “we should be able to find our way out again by reversing course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had some serious doubts about this plan; it all felt achingly familiar, but trying to remember what path they’d taken through the Labyrinth was like remembering what the answer to question five on his first math test was. Plus, something told him it didn’t much matter, they’d end up wherever the maze wanted them to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His thoughts were confirmed when they followed the left wall for, at most, sixty seconds before it disappeared. The four of them sat in the middle of a circular chamber with eight tunnels leading out, with seemingly no recollection of what entrance they’d come through.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um, which way did we come in?” Grover said nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just turn around,” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all turned in different directions. Percy might have only pivoted ninety degrees, though. This whole place gave him a permanent sense of vertigo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Left walls are mean,” Tyson said. “Which way now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth swept her flashlight beam over the archways of the eight tunnels. They all looked identical, so he wasn’t sure what she was hoping to find. She was more observant than him most of the time, though. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That way,” she said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you know?” Percy asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Deductive reasoning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So… you’re guessing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just come on,” she said tersely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tunnel she’d chosen narrowed quickly. The walls turned to grey cement, but strangely there was gravel underfoot. They all had to duck down as the ceiling lowered. Tyson was forced to crawl. Grover’s hyperventilating was the loudest noise in the maze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t stand it anymore,” he whispered. “Are we there yet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been down here maybe five minutes,” Annabeth told him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s been longer than that,” Grover insisted. “And why would Pan be down here? This is the opposite of the wild!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They kept moving. Just when the tunnel was getting narrow enough they would have to turn back, it opened into a huge room. Shining his light over the walls, Percy could only feel impressed. The whole room was covered in mosaic tiles. The pictures were grimy and faded, but he coils still make out the colors - red, blue, green, gold. The frieze showed the Olympian gods at a feast. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was Poseidon with his trident, holding out grapes for Dionysus to turn into wine. Zeus was partying with the satyrs, and Hermes was flying through the air on his winged sandals. The pictures were beautiful, but they weren’t very accurate. Or maybe Hermes had gotten a nose-job at some point.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the middle of the room was a three-tiered fountain. It looked like it hadn’t held water in a long time. Unconsciously, Percy found himself reaching out his senses, though the spouts and down the pipes, feeling for water. After a moment of feeling nothing, he tuned back into whatever his friends were saying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“-osaics are about two thousand years old,” Annabeth said, answering a question someone probably hadn’t asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all stood in silence for a few moments following that, until a groaning sound echoed from somewhere ahead of them. It didn’t sound very inviting, but Annabeth urged them to go forward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Down the hall with the bad sounds?” Tyson asked, looking skittish. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she said. “The architecture is getting older. That’s a good sign. Daedalus’s workshop would be in the oldest part.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He really needed to have a talk with Annabeth about saying her plans out loud in a maze that was consciously trying to fuck with them; they went fifteen metres and the tunnel turned back to cement, with brass pipes running down the sides. The walls were spray-painted with graffiti. A neon tag sign read: </span>
  <em>
    <span>moz rulz. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They kept going, though. Percy tried to listen for any interesting sounds - sounds of life. Particularly the life of an eleven-year-old boy obsessed with card games. Every few metres the tunnels twisted and turned and branched off. The floor changed from cement to mud to bricks and back again, no sense to any of it. The four stumbled into a wine cellar, walking quietly like they were really sneaking through someone’s basement, only there was no exit ahead; just more tunnels leading on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later the ceiling turned to wooden planks, and there were voices above and the creaking of footsteps, as if they were walking under some kind of bar. It was reassuring to hear people, even if Percy had some sort of sick feeling they might not be people at all. Not like they could get up there if they wanted, they were trapped like mice in a little cardboard maze, searching for cheese… he wondered if the Labyrinth had cheese anywhere, actually. The one food he wouldn’t want to be blue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was in the wine cellar that they found their first skeleton. He was dressed in white clothes, like a bleached police officer almost. A wooden crate of glass bottles sat next to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A milkman,” Annabeth said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wonder how he ended up here,” Percy mused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Some people wander in by mistake,” she replied. “Some come exploring on purpose and never make it back. A long time ago, the Cretans even sent people in here as human sacrifices.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover gulped. “He’s been down here a long time.” He pointed to the skeleton’s bottles, which were coated with white dust. The skeleton’s fingers were clawing at the brick wall, like he had died trying to get out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only bones,” Tyson said. “Don’t worry, goat boy. The milkman is dead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The milkman doesn’t bother me,” Grover said. “It’s the smell. Monsters. Can’t you smell it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson nodded. “Lots of monsters. But underground smells like that. Monsters and dead milk people.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, good,” Grover whimpered. “I thought maybe I was wrong.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have to get deeper into the maze,” Annabeth interrupted. “There has to be a way to the center.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She led them right, then left, through a corridor of stainless steel like some kind of air shaft, and then they arrived right back in the Roman tile room with the fountain. This time, though, they weren’t alone.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Janus’s faces jutted out from either side of his head, staring over his shoulders, so his head was much wider than it should’ve been, kind of like a hammerhead shark’s. He was dressed like a New York City doorman: a long black overcoat, shiny shoes and a black tophat that somehow managed to stay on his double-wide head. Gods were funny about how they liked to dress to ‘keep with the times’, Percy thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Annabeth?” said his left face. “Hurry up!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t mind him,” said Janus’s right face. “He’s terribly rude. Right this way, miss.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth’s jaw dropped. “Uh… I don’t…,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson frowned. “That funny man has two faces.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The funny man has ears, you know!” the left face scolded. “Now come along, miss.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, no,” the right face said. “This way, miss. Talk to me, please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two-faced man regarded Annabeth as best he could out of the corners of his eyes. Behind him were two exits, blocked by wooden doors with huge iron locks. They hadn’t been there before. They were asking her to choose. Honestly, Percy just wanted to tell him to fuck off and be done with it, but it wasn’t really polite to interfere when this was wise girl’s choice to make. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Janus held a silver key, which he kept passing from his left hand to his right hand. The entrance the four of them had just come through closed up, leaving only the two doors to choose from. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The exits are closed,” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Duh!” Janus’s left face said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where do they lead?” she asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One probably leads the way you wish to go,” the right face said encouragingly. “The other leads to certain death.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I – I know who you are,” Annabeth said. Percy smiled a little - he’d have been disappointed if she didn’t. There’s only so many people who literally have two faces in this world, after all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you’re a smart one!” the left face sneered. “But do you know which way to choose? I don’t have all day.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you trying to confuse me?” she demanded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The right face smiled. “You’re in charge now, my dear. All the decisions are on your shoulders. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We know you, Annabeth,” the left face said. “We know what you wrestle with every day. We know your indecision. You will have to make your choice sooner or later. And the choice may kill you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The colour drained out of Annabeth’s face. “No… I don’t –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Leave her alone,” Percy finally stepped forward. “Who do you think you are? Just shut up.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m your best friend,”  the right face said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m your worst enemy,” the left face said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I’m Janus,” both faces said in harmony. “God of Doorways. Beginnings. Endings. Choices.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy rolled his eyes. Why does he even bother? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you soon enough, Perseus Jackson,” said the right face. “But for now it’s Annabeth’s turn.” He laughed giddily. “Such fun!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up!” his left face said. “This is serious. One bad choice can ruin your whole life. It can kill you and all your friends. But no pressure, Annabeth. Choose!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Stupid old people and mind-games. What was so fun about tricking kids, anyway? Except maybe for telling younger campers that Chrion liked to have his tail braided, or telling the pegasus to make a really steep dive when someone wasn’t expecting it just to save them last-second... Actually, nevermind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just ignore him, Annabeth. You don’t need to choose now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid she has to,” the right face said cheerfully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth moistened her lips. “I – I choose –” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before she could point to a door, a brilliant light flooded the room. Janus raised his hands to either side of his head to cover his eyes. When the light died, a woman was standing at the fountain. She was tall and graceful, with long hair the colour of chocolate, braided in plaits with gold ribbons. She wore a simple white dress, but when she moved, the fabric shimmered with colours like oil in water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Janus,” she said. “Are we causing trouble again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“N-no, milady!” Janus’s right face stammered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” the left face said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up!” the right face said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?” the goddess asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not you, milady! I was talking to myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see,” she said. “You know very well your visit is premature. The girl’s time has not yet come. So I give you a choice: leave these heroes to me, or I shall turn you into a door and break you down.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What kind of door?” the left face asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up!” the right face said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because French doors are nice,” the left face mused. “Lots of natural light.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up!” the right face wailed. “Not you, milady! Of course I’ll leave. I was just having a bit of fun. Doing my job. Offering choices.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Causing indecision,” she corrected. “Now begone!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The left face muttered, “Party pooper,” then he raised his silver key, inserted it into the air and disappeared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The goddess turned towards them, and Percy felt conflicted. Her eyes shone with power. Hera was, generally, a woman to be feared, but a small part of his brain demanded anger. For all of her meddling, for what she’d done to him, to Jason. But he’d let go of a lot of his anger over the years, mostly because there was nothing he could do about it. (That, and holding onto the searing rage he wanted to feel made the nightmares worse. Made him hurt people he cared about. It wasn’t worth it.) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hera smiled at them. “You must be hungry,” she said. “Sit with me and talk.” She waved her hand, and the old Roman fountain began to flow. Jets of clear water sprayed into the air. A marble table appeared, laden with platters of sandwiches and pitchers of lemonade. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Queen of Heaven invited them to sit for lunch. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy had seen Hera a few times, but rarely did she look so… normal. She looked like a regular mom, and served them sandwiches and poured lemonade. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Grover, dear,” she said. “Use your napkin. Don’t eat it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, ma’am,” Grover said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tyson, you’re wasting away. Would you like another peanut-butter sandwich?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson stifled a belch. “Yes, nice lady.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Queen Hera,” Annabeth said. “I can’t believe it. What are you doing in the Labyrinth?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hera smiled. She flicked one finger and Annabeth’s hair combed itself. All the dirt and grime disappeared from her face. “I came to see you, naturally,” the goddess said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Grover exchanged a look. A god looking for you was usually a bad sign, and even if Percy knew Hera didn’t have any crazy intentions… the wording instinctively made him nervous. Still, that didn’t stop him from digging into some turkey-and-swiss sandwiches and crisps with lemonade. Free food was free food, no matter who it came from, and in this case it was unlikely to be poisoned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson was inhaling one peanut-butter sandwich after another, and Grover was loving the lemonade, crunching the Styrofoam cup like an ice-cream cone. It seemed like none of them had realized how hungry they’d gotten - probably something to do with the time-distortion from being in the Labyrinth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think–” Annabeth faltered. “Well, I didn’t think you liked heroes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hera smiled indulgently. “Because of that little spat I had with Hercules? Honestly, I got so much bad press because of one disagreement.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t you try to kill him, like, a lot of times?” Annabeth asked. Hera waved her hand dismissively. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Water under the bridge, my dear. Besides, he was one of my loving husband’s children by another woman. My patience wore thin, I’ll admit it. But Zeus and I have had some excellent marriage counselling sessions since then. We’ve aired our feelings and come to an understanding – especially after that last little </span>
  <em>
    <span>incident</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, what’s a little murder and adultaery in this family? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Percy thought. What he actually said aloud was: “You’re talking about Thalia.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hera’s eyes turned towards him frostily, and he realized that statement was probably in poor taste. “Percy Jackson, isn’t it? One of Poseidon’s… children.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It seemed like she’d almost said something other than ‘children.’ He couldn’t care less though, reaching for another sandwich. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As I recall, I voted to let you live at the winter solstice,” she continued. “I hope I voted correctly.” She turned back to Annabeth with a sunny smile. “At any rate, I certainly bear you no ill will, my girl. I appreciate the difficulty of your quest. Especially when you have troublemakers like Janus to deal with.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth lowered her gaze. “Why was he here? He was driving me crazy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Trying to,” Hera agreed. “You must understand, the minor gods like Janus have always been frustrated by their small parts to play in the universe. Some, I fear, have little love for Olympus, and could easily be swayed to support the rise of my father.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He almost forgot Hera was Kronos’s child, too. Made things even more awkward in the family tree, and Percy wouldn’t even let himself think about calling the Titan Lord his grandfather. Gross. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We must watch the minor gods,” Hera said. “Janus. Hecate. Morpheus. They give lip service to Olympus, and yet-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mr D’s checking up on them, right? Couldn’t think of a better guy to go intimidate a bunch of misbehaving gods, honestly.” Percy cut her off. Not intentionally, really, he was just thinking out loud. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Indeed.” Hera stared at the fading mosaics of the Olympians. “You see, in times of trouble, even gods can lose faith. They start putting their trust in the wrong things, petty things. They stop looking at the big picture and start being selfish. But I’m the goddess of marriage, you see. I’m used to perseverance. You have to rise above the squabbling and chaos and keep believing. You have to always keep your goals in mind.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are</span>
  <em>
    <span> your </span>
  </em>
  <span>goals?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hera smiled. “To keep my family, the Olympians, together, of course. At the moment, the best way I can do that is by helping you. Zeus does not allow me to interfere much, I am afraid. But once every century or so, for a quest I care deeply about, he allows me to grant a wish.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A wish?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Before you ask it, let me give you some advice, which I can do for free. I know you seek Daedalus. His Labyrinth is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. But if you want to know his fate, I would visit my son Hephaestus at his forge. Daedalus was a great inventor, a mortal after Hephaestus’s heart. There has never been a mortal Hephaestus admired more. If anyone would have kept up with Daedalus and could tell you his fate, it is Hephaestus.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Annabeth could say anything, Percy cut in. “Actually, do you mind if I ask something, first? You don’t really have to answer.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gave him a bit of an odd look. Like she hadn’t expected this, but didn’t feel any particular way about it. The only actual answer she gave was a miniscule nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you… I mean, do you know if there’s anyone else in this maze right now? Anyone alive?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” Hera smiled sympathetically. “You mean your little half-blood friends that came into the Labyrinth earlier. I’m afraid that only one of them may still be breathing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy felt his heart skip a beat, before he forced himself to calm down. Convincing himself that there was no way Nico was dead, he tried to focus on the other possibility that made him feel even worse. That Nico was still alive in the Labyrinth, all alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth and Grover seemed to be having the same internal crises, but Annabth finally seemed to regain her confidence and pondered something for a few moments. Finally, she asked:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daedalus’s workshop, we need to get there. That’s my wish, I want a way to navigate the Labyrinth.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hera looked disappointed. “So be it. You wish for something, however, that you have already been given.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t understand.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The means is already within your grasp.” She looked to him. “Percy knows the answer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No shit,” Percy muttered under his breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But that’s not fair,” Annabeth said. “You’re not telling us what it is!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hera shook her head. “Getting something and having the wits to use it… those are two different things. I’m sure your mother, Athena, would agree.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room rumbled like distant thunder. Hera stood. “That would be my cue. Zeus grows impatient. Think on what I have said, Annabeth. Seek out Hephaestus. You will have to pass through the ranch, I imagine. But keep going. And use all the means at your disposal, however common they may seem.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pointed towards the two doors and they melted away, revealing twin corridors, open and dark. “One last thing, Annabeth. I have postponed your day of choice. I have not prevented it. Soon, as Janus said, you will have to make a decision. Farewell!” She waved a hand and turned into white smoke. So did the food, just as Tyson chomped down on a sandwich that turned to mist in his mouth. The fountain trickled to a stop. The mosaic walls dimmed and turned grungy and faded again. The room was no longer any place you’d want to have a picnic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth stamped her foot. “What sort of help was that? ‘Here, have a sandwich. Make a wish. Oops, I can’t help you!’ Poof!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Poof,” Tyson agreed sadly, looking at his empty plate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Grover sighed, “she said Percy knows the answer. That’s something.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all looked at Percy. He pretended to think on it for a few moments, while he was actually just debating whether or not to tell them yet. Sighing, he nodded and looked at each of them in turn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If it’s what I think it is… it’s back in Manhattan.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>And probably not jazzed about the idea of running into a monster-infested maze. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth sighed. “Of course it is. Then I guess our first priority would be getting out of here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover looked a bit relieved, then anxious again as he turned in a small circle and asked, “Which way?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before she could even take a breath to respond, he and Tyson both tensed. They stood up together, like they’d rehearsed it. “Left,” they both said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth frowned. “How can you be sure?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because something is coming from the right,” Grover said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something big,” Tyson agreed. “In a hurry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Left it is then,” Percy declared. Together they plunged into the dark corridor.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Going left seemed to be both the best and worst choice they could have made. One the one hand, the left tunnel was straight with no side exits, twists or turns. On the other... it was a dead end. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After sprinting a hundred metres, they ran into an enormous boulder that completely blocked their path. From behind, the sounds of dragging footsteps and heavy breathing echoed down the corridor. Something was after them, and Percy was frankly not in the mood to find out what; as much as slicing something to pieces might be cathartic right now, he really needed to save his strength in a place like this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tyson,” he said, “could you-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” The cyclops slammed his shoulder against the rock so hard the whole tunnel shook. Dust trickled from the stone ceiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hurry!” Grover said. “Don’t bring the roof down, but hurry!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> The boulder finally gave way with a horrible grinding noise. Tyson pushed it into a small room, and the rest of them dashed through behind it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Close the entrance!” Annabeth shouted, a little unnecessarily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all got on the other side of the boulder and pushed. Whatever was chasing the four of them wailed in frustration as they heaved the rock back into place and sealed the corridor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy finally turned around to get a look at where they were now, only to be faced with a six-metre-square cement room, the opposite wall was covered with metal bars. They’d shoved their way straight into a cell - a very plain one, but it’s purpose was obvious enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What in Hades?” Annabeth tugged on the bars. They didn’t budge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Through the bars he could see rows of cells in a ring around a dark courtyard – at least three stories of metal doors and metal catwalks. A prison. Like most things not immediately life-or-death in significance, (or even some that were,) he only remembered this place in brief flashes. But he remembered it all the same, even if just for the events that followed after passing through it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listen,” Grover suddenly spoke, motioning for everyone to be quiet. Somewhere above us, deep sobbing echoed through the building. There was another sound, too – a raspy voice muttering something that he couldn’t make out. The words were strange, like rocks in a tumbler.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyone wanna translate… uh, whatever language that is for me?” Percy asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson’s eye widened. “Can’t be.” He grabbed two bars on the cell door and bent them wide enough for even a Cyclops to slip through. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait!” Grover called.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Tyson wasn’t about to wait. The rest of them chased after him. The prison was dark, only a few dim fluorescent lights flickering above, which really didn’t help the atmosphere. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know this place,” Annabeth said. “This is Alcatraz.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The island off San Francisco?” Percy asked, ninety percent sure he’d gotten it right.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “My school took a field trip here. It’s like a museum.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Honestly, if the place wasn’t such a pain in the ass, the Labyrinth could probably put air travel out of business. Ending up on the opposite side of the country in what felt like less than an hour? Really, Daedalus could have done a lot better than this, if he wanted to live a comfortable life somewhere away from monsters and godly wars.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Freeze,” Grover suddenly warned them, but Tyson kept going. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover grabbed his arm and pulled him back with all his strength. “Stop, Tyson!” he whispered. “Can’t you see it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy looked where his friend was pointing, and grimaced. On the second-floor balcony, across the courtyard, was a monster with a personality even more unsettling than her appearance. She was like a centaur, with a woman’s body from the waist up - but instead of a horse’s lower body, it was the body of a dragon; at least seven metres long, black and scaly with enormous claws and a barbed tail. Her legs looked like they were tangled in vines, but they were actually sprouting snakes, hundreds of vipers darting around, constantly looking for something to bite.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The woman’s hair was also made of snakes, like Medusa’s. Weirdest of all, around her waist, where the woman part met the dragon part, her skin bubbled and morphed, occasionally producing the heads of animals – a vicious wolf, a bear, a lion, as if she were wearing a belt of ever-changing creatures. This was the form of something born before shapes were fully defined, before any other creature really existed yet, eldritch and possibly older than the universe itself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s her,” Tyson whimpered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get down!” Grover said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They crouched in the shadows, but the monster wasn’t paying the four of them any attention. She seemed to be talking to someone inside a cell on the second floor. That’s where the sobbing was coming from. Kampê said something in her weird rumbling language. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“What’s she saying?” Percy muttered. “I don’t know this language.” Not much point in trying to learn a tongue no one spoke anymore, afterall. Not even Chiron could teach him if he asked, most likely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The tongue of the old times.” Tyson shivered. “What Mother Earth spoke to Titans and… her other children. Before the gods.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You understand it, then. Mind translating, big guy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson closed his eyes and began to speak in a horrible, raspy woman’s voice. “You will work for the master or suffer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth shuddered. “I hate it when he does that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy wasn’t a huge fan either, but it was an incredibly useful skill to have as part of their group. Supernatural hearing and the ability to translate and mimic voices with ease? Anyone trying to sneak up on them would have a hell of a time, even if Grover wasn’t there with his superior nose and ears as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will not serve,” Tyson said in a deep, wounded voice. He switched to the monster’s voice: “Then I shall enjoy your pain, Briares.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson faltered when he said that name. It was rare for his brother to break character when he was mimicking somebody, but he let out a strangled gulp. Then he continued in the monster‘s voice. “If you thought your first imprisonment was unbearable, you have yet to feel true torment. Think on this until I return.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The dragon lady tromped towards the stairwell, vipers hissing around her legs like grass skirts. She spread wings that had previously gone noticed while she was speaking - huge bat wings she kept folded against her dragon back. She leaped off the catwalk and soared across the courtyard. They all crouched lower, and a hot sulphurous wind blasted them as the monster flew over. Then she disappeared around the corner.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“H-h-horrible,” Grover said. “I’ve never smelled any monster that strong.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cyclopes’ worst nightmare,” Tyson murmured. “Kampê.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course she is</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Percy thought a little bitterly. She was the jailor of Gaia and Ouranos’s earlier children when the Titan’s ruled. The Cyclopes and the Hekatonkheires alike were held captive and tortured, until Zeus freed them to fight alongside him in the war. Her being back meant terrible things, and he didn’t blame his friends for being terrified of her - Percy wouldn’t want to fight her anytime soon, if he could help it. They could leave that to one of the gods, as far as he was concerned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So who’s in the cell?” He asked, to get them back on task. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Briares!” Tyson perked up. “He is a Hundred-handed One. They are as tall as the sky and they break mountains!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It seemed unlikely that something as tall as the sky could be crammed into any kind of cell, but he figured if Kampê had managed it before she could do it again. Magic could hurt just as easily as it could help, afterall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess we should check it out,” Annabeth said, “before Kampê comes back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>As they approached the cell, the weeping got louder. When they finally got close enough to see what was inside, Percy was first struck with how… unimpressive Brirares looked at first. He was human-size and his skin was the color of milk, he wore a loincloth like a big diaper, and his feet seemed too big for his body, with cracked dirty toenails, eight toes on each foot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the top half of his body was the part that reminded him how dangerous this guy could be. In rows, Percy could count dozens of arms and hands, all moving independently, and all equally capable of crushing his skull, in all likelihood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson fell to his knees. “Briares!” he called. The sobbing stopped. “Great Hundred-handed One!” Tyson said. “Help us!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Briares looked up. His face was long and sad, with a crooked nose and bad teeth. He had deep brown eyes - all brown, no pupil or sclera. “Run while you can, Cyclops,” Briares said miserably. “I cannot even help myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are a Hundred-handed One!” Tyson insisted. “You can do anything!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Briares wiped his nose with five or six hands. Several others were fidgeting with little pieces of metal and wood from a broken bed, the way Tyson always played with spare parts. It was amazing to watch. The hands seemed to have a mind of their own; they built a toy boat out of wood, then disassembled it just as fast. Other hands were scratching at the cement floor for no apparent reason. Others were playing rock, paper, scissors. A few others were making ducky and doggie shadow puppets against the wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I cannot,” Briares moaned. “Kampê is back! The Titans will rise and throw us back into Tartarus.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Put on your brave face!” Tyson said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Immediately Briares’s face morphed into something else. Same brown eyes, but otherwise totally different features. He had an upturned nose, arched eyebrows and a weird smile, like he was trying to act brave. But then his face turned back to what it had been before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No good,” he said. “My scared face keeps coming back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right, the Hundred-handed Ones have fifty different faces. Percy wondered if there were really exactly fifty, or if some had forty-nine or fifty-one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson was still entranced. “It will be okay, Briares! We will help you! Can I have your autograph?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Briares sniffled. “Do you have one hundred pens?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guys,” Grover interrupted. “We have to get out of here. Kampê will be back. She’ll sense us sooner or later.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Break the bars,” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Tyson said, smiling proudly. “Briares can do it. He is very strong. Stronger than Cyclopes, even! Watch!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Briares whimpered. A dozen of his hands started playing patty-cake, but none of them made any attempt to break the bars.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Briares?” Tyson asked. “What… what is wrong? Show us your great strength!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tyson,” Annabeth said, “I think you’d better break the bars.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson’s smile melted slowly. “I will break the bars,” he repeated. He grabbed the cell door and ripped it off its hinges like it was made of wet clay. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Briares,” Annabeth said. “Let’s get you out of here.” She held out her hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For a second, Briares’s face morphed to a hopeful expression. Several of his arms reached out, but twice as many slapped them away. “I cannot,” he said. “She will punish me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s all right,” Annabeth promised. “You fought the Titans before, and you won, remember?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I remember the war.” Briares’s face morphed again – furrowed brow and a pouting mouth. His brooding face, maybe. “Lightning shook the world. We threw many rocks. The Titans and the monsters almost won. Now they are getting strong again. Kampê said so.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy thought for a moment. This reminded him a lot of negotiating with Estelle. As sweet a kid as she was, all toddlers are difficult at times. (Honestly, most don’t grow out of it until well into adulthood, and sometimes not even then.) They didn’t have time to sit and talk things out like this, but he also didn’t really have anything to bribe Brares with. He sighed, and stepped past the bars, just barely inside the cell with the Hundred-Handed One. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How about this,” he said carefully. “One game of rock-paper-scissors. I win, you come with us. I lose, you do whatever you want. Got it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Briares looked dejected. “I always win rock-paper-scissors.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then come on!” Percy held out his hand and they went through the motions. This was a ‘dirty trick’ according to his sister, when he used it to get her to go to bed on time, but hey. This is the sort of thing you pass on from generation to generation. (And he was sure that this would work, if a blurry memory of Annabeth looking at him like a madman was any clue.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they counted to three, Briares sent a surprisingly well-coordinated and even fleet of rocks, scissors, and papers. He almost laughed at the confused look the Hundred-Handed One gave at Percy’s double finger-guns. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gun. Beats rock, paper and scissors. Now c’mon!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But that is not fair!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who said I was gonna play fair?” he shrugged, motioning for him to come on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Briares sniffled. “Demigods are cheaters.” But he slowly rose to his feet and followed Percy out of the cell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Things almost looked like they’d gone well, but then Tyson froze. On the ground floor right below, Kampê was snarling at them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This way,” Percy said, and they bolted down the catwalk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, Briares was happy to follow - in fact, he sprinted ahead, arms all waving in a panic as he wailed. Behind, Percy heard the sound of huge, leathery wings beating as Kampê took to the air. She hissed and growled in her ancient language, and this time he didn’t need to ask Tyson to know she was out for blood. They scrambled down the stairs, through a corridor, and past a guard’s station into another block of cells. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Left,” Annabeth said. “I remember this from the tour.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The five of them burst outside and found themselves in the prison yard, ringed by security towers and barbed wire. After being inside so long, the daylight was blinding, and littered his vision with floating dark spots. Tourists were milling around, taking pictures. The wind whipped cold off the bay. In the south, San Francisco gleamed all white and beautiful, but in the north, over Mount Tamalpais, huge storm clouds swirled. The whole sky seemed like a black top spinning from the mountain where Atlas was imprisoned, and where the Titan palace of Mount Othrys was rising anew. He was glad none of the mortals were able to notice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s even worse,” Annabeth was gazing to the north. “The storms have been bad all year, but that-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Keep moving,” Briares wailed. “She is behind us!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They ran to the far end of the yard, as far from the cell block as possible. Percy was looking around, trying to figure out how they were going to get back to the Labyrinth from here, when the wall exploded. Tourists screamed as Kampê appeared from the dust and rubble, her wings spread out as wide as the yard. She was holding two swords – long bronze scimitars that glowed with a weird greenish aura, boiling wisps of vapour that smelled sour and hot even across the yard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Poison!” Grover yelped. “Don’t let those things touch you or…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t get stabbed, right,” Percy mumbled as he drew Riptide, preparing for a fight. At least there was seawater all around him, less than 200 feet away at the nearest shore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Briares, fight!” Tyson urged. “Grow to full size!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead, Briares looked like he was trying to shrink even smaller. He appeared to be wearing his ‘absolutely terrified’ face. Kampê thundered forward on her dragon legs, hundreds of snakes slithering around her body. It was terrifying, he was scared out of his mind, but he stuffed those thoughts into the same lock-box he put most of his upsetting emotions these days. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Later, deal with everything else later. So much for leaving this to the gods… </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then Annabeth grabbed him by the arm and was dragging him away with everyone else, who he hadn’t realized were already halfway down to the wharf. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mortals screamed and ran. Emergency sirens began to blare. They hit the dock just as a tour boat was unloading. The new group of visitors froze as they saw all the people charging towards them, followed by… whatever they thought Kampê looked like at the moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The boat?” Grover suggested. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Too slow,” Tyson said. “Back into the maze. Only chance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We need a diversion,” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Or we could just kill her, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Percy wanted to say, but he was losing confidence in that decision by the minute. Oh, he didn’t doubt he could kill Kampê if he had a bit of luck on his side, but he wasn’t so great as to do it without getting hit even once; and they were hundreds of miles away from camp, where he could get treated for extremely deadly poison. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson ripped a metal lamppost out of the ground. “I will distract Kampê. You run around, back to the prison.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You sure?” he asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You go. Poison will hurt Cyclopes. A lot of pain. But it won’t kill,” Tyson said firmly. “Go, brother. I will meet you inside.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t time to argue, as much as he hated this idea. But he’d seen his brother face down plenty of danger before, and come out on top each time. He, Grover and Annabeth each took one of Briares’s hands and dragged him towards the concession stands while Tyson bellowed, lowered his pole and charged Kampê like a jousting knight. She’d been glaring at Briares, but Tyson got her attention as soon as he nailed her in the chest with the pole, pushing her back into the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shrieked and slashed with her swords, slicing the pole to shreds. Poison dripped in pools all around her, sizzling into the cement. Tyson jumped back as Kampê’s hair lashed and hissed, and the vipers around her legs darted their tongues in every direction. A lion popped out of the weird half-formed faces around her waist and roared. As they sprinted for the cell blocks, the last thing Percy saw was Tyson picking up an ice-cream stand and throwing it at Kampê. Ice cream and poison exploded everywhere, all the little snakes in Kampê’s hair dotted with chocolate sauce. They dashed back into the prison yard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t make it,” Briares huffed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Too bad!” he shouted. “We’re going anyway!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they reached the door of the cell block, they heard an angry roar. Glancing back, he saw Tyson running towards them at full speed, Kampê right behind him. She was plastered in ice cream and T-shirts. One of the bear heads on her waist was now wearing a pair of crooked plastic Alcatraz sunglasses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hurry!” Annabeth said, like anyone needed the reminder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They made it back to the cell where they had come in, but the back wall was now completely smooth, no entrance anywhere. They all scrambled to find the mark, until Grover touched a tiny scratch that turned into a Greek Δ. The mark of Daedalus glowed blue, and the stone wall ground open. Too slowly. Tyson was coming through the cell block, Kampê’s swords lashing out behind him, slicing indiscriminately through cell bars and stone walls. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pushing Briares, then Annabeth and Grover into the maze, Percy shouted “You can do it!” to his brother. But he already knew that Tyson couldn’t. Kampê was gaining. She raised her swords. In a desperate move, he held Riptide high, still drawn, and threw it at her face like one might a really big throwing knife. It slammed into her, but barely lodged an inch into her shoulder. But it was enough for Tyson to dive past him into the maze, and he followed suit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kampê charged, but she was too late. The stone door closed and its magic sealed them in. They could all feel the tunnel shake as Kampê pounded against it, roaring furiously. No one stuck around to listen to what she was bellowing, however, as they raced into the darkness of the Labyrinth. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Their group finally stopped in a room full of waterfalls. The floor was one big pit, ringed by a slippery stone walkway. Around them on all four walls, water tumbled from huge pipes. The water spilled down into the pit, but even shining a light into it, no one could see any bottom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Briares slumped against the wall. He scooped up water in a dozen hands and washed his face. “This pit goes straight to Tartarus,” he murmured. “I should jump in and save you trouble.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t talk that way,” Annabeth told him. “You can come back to camp with us. You can help us prepare. You know more about fighting Titans than anybody.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have nothing to offer,” Briares said. “I have lost everything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about your brothers?” Tyson asked. “The other two must still stand tall as mountains! We can take you to them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Briares’s expression morphed to something even sadder: grief. “They are no more. They faded.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The waterfalls thundered. Tyson stared into the pit and blinked tears out of his eye. Percy thought about an offer he’d refused so long ago, and about all the reasons he’d refused the idea of being immortal. The saying really was true, </span>
  <em>
    <span>either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Or, more accurately,</span>
  <em>
    <span> live long enough to stop caring.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I must go,” Briares said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kronos’s army will invade camp,” Tyson said. “We need help.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Briares hung his head. “I cannot, Cyclops.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are strong.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not any more.” Briares rose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” Percy grabbed one of his arms and pulled him aside, where the roar of the water would muffle their conversation. “Briares, just listen. I… I don’t think I can convince you to stay, but you need to know that you can still be strong. Because strength isn’t about not being weak. It’s about accepting your weaknesses and knowing when you need help. I’m asking you for help here, because I’m not…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not strong enough to protect them all. I want to, I need to, it’s the reason I was given this second chance, but I can't. I’m not enough for them, I was torn apart and barely tied together well enough to keep living, and I’m shocked no one has noticed yet. I’m going to unravel someday and I need to know others will be there to keep them safe, please. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>These thoughts went unsaid, but he hoped he was conveying enough of it through his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Briares just shook his head. “I cannot, demigod. I do not have a finger gun to win this game.” To prove his point, he made one hundred finger guns.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy sighed, but nodded. He understood the feeling. “Just don’t give up on yourself completely, okay? I think that’s how you immortals really fade - because you give up on yourself, in the end.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The </span>
  <span>Hekatónkheires regarded the son of Poseidon carefully with his all-brown eyes.</span>
  <span> His face morphed into an expression Percy was intimately familiar with: shame. Then he turned and trudged off down the corridor until he was lost in the shadows. Tyson sobbed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” Grover hesitantly patted his shoulder, which must’ve taken all his courage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson sneezed. “It is not okay, goat boy. He was my hero.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He desperately wanted to make his brother feel better, but was too preoccupied with the thought of someone else saying the same about him. About all of the people he failed, who once saw him as a hero. Finally, Annabeth stood and shouldered her backpack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, guys. This pit is making me nervous. Let’s find a better place to camp for the night.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The four settled in a corridor made of huge marble blocks. It looked like it could’ve been part of a Greek tomb, with bronze torch holders fastened to the walls. It had to be an older part of the maze, and Annabeth decided this was a good sign. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We must be close to Daedalus’s workshop,” she said. “Get some rest, everybody. We’ll keep going in the morning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do we know when it’s morning?” Grover asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just rest,” she insisted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover didn’t need to be told twice. He pulled a heap of straw out of his pack, ate some of it, made a pillow out of the rest and was snoring in no time. Tyson took longer getting to sleep. He tinkered with some metal scraps from his building kit for a while, but whatever he was making, he wasn’t happy with it. He kept disassembling the pieces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry I couldn’t get him to stick around,” Percy said lowly to his brother, a few paces away from the others. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson looked up. His eye was bloodshot from crying. “Do not worry, brother. You saved me today. You wouldn’t have had to if Briares had helped.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was just scared,” he said. “We all get scared. Not everyone can deal with it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He is not strong,” Tyson said. “He is not important any more.” He heaved a big sad sigh, then closed his eye. The metal pieces fell out of his hand, still unassembled, and Tyson began to snore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy tried to fall asleep, too, buut knew there was no point in it. Eventually he gave up and dragged his bedroll over to where Annabeth was sitting, keeping watch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should sleep,” she said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t. Are you doing okay?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure. First day leading the quest. Just great.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll figure it out. We’ll beat Luke and his stupid army.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She brushed her hair out of her face. She had a smudge of dirt on her face, but still looked the least rough out of their group at the moment.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just wish the quest was logical,” she complained. “I mean, we’re travelling but we have no idea where we’ll end up. How can you walk from New York to California in a day?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Says the girl who fought cyclopses when she was seven.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She snorted, but her face melted into something more serious once more. “Percy, I was kidding myself. All that planning and reading – I don’t have a clue where we’re going.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Neither does anyone else, wise girl. At least I trust </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>to get us out of whatever crazy situation we end up in.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth smiled at him, but it looked bittersweet. After a few moments of silence, she asked him something he wasn’t sure how to answer right away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy, what did Hera mean when she said you knew the way to get through the maze? You said it was back in Manhattan, but even when we get out of here, I have no idea how close we’ll be to the east coast.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Playing with his necklace, squeezing the wooden beads until he felt they might crack, he finally said: “It’s… complicated. I’m sorry, but I really don’t know how to explain it just now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked totally unsatisfied with that answer, but didn’t push it. Maybe she’d seen enough ‘complicated’ things already. The two of them sat in silence for a while, listening to strange creaks and groans in the maze, the echo of stones grinding together as tunnels changed, grew and expanded. Eventually he volunteered to take over the watch, as he wasn’t likely to fall asleep anytime soon anyways. Annabeth looked like she wanted to protest, but eventually conceded and slumped into her bedroll, closing her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>When it was time for him to sleep, he dreamt once more of Daedalus and his son in their prison cell. It looked a bit more like a workshop, now - tables were littered with measuring instruments, and a forge burned red in the corner. The boy, Icarus, was stroking the bellows. He looked older, now, taller. He was maybe fifteen at most, though.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A weird funnel device was attached to the forge’s chimney, trapping the smoke and heat and channelling it through a pipe into the floor, next to a big bronze manhole cover. It was daytime. The sky above was blue, but the walls of the maze cast deep shadows across the workshop. After being in tunnels so long, it looked weird to see the maze open anywhere - it seemed cruel, to actually be able to see one’s freedom and still be just as unable to reach it. And the old man looked sickly - he was terribly thin, his hands raw and red from working. White hair covered his eyes, and his tunic was smudged with grease. He was bent over a table, working on some kind of long metal patchwork – like a swathe of chain mail. He picked up a delicate curl of bronze and fitted it into place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Done,” he announced. “It’s done.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He picked up his project. It was so beautiful Percy felt something like elation stir in his gut, something he hadn’t felt in ages. It was two sets of metal wings constructed from thousands of interlocking bronze feathers. One still lay on the table. Daedalus stretched the frame, and the wings expanded to seven and a half metres. Percy thought it looked far too heavy to fly, but the craftsmanship was amazing all the same. Metal feathers caught the light and flashed thirty different shades of gold. The boy left the bellows and ran over to see. He grinned, despite the fact that he was grimy and sweaty. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Father, you’re a genius!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The old man smiled. “Tell me something I don’t know, Icarus. Now hurry. It will take at least an hour to attach them. Come.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You first,” Icarus said. The old man protested, but Icarus insisted. “You made them, Father. You should get the honour of wearing them first.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy attached a leather harness to his father’s chest, like climbing gear, with straps that ran from his shoulders to his wrists. Then he began fastening on the wings, using a metal canister that looked like an enormous hot-glue gun. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The wax compound should hold for several hours,” Daedalus said nervously as his son worked. “But we must let it set first. And we would do well to avoid flying too high or too low. The sea would wet the wax seals-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And the sun’s heat would loosen them,” the boy finished. “Yes, Father. We’ve been through this a million times!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe they should have gone over it a million and one times, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Percy thought, recalling Icarus’s tale.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One cannot be too careful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have complete faith in your inventions, Father! No one has ever been as smart as you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The old man’s eyes shone. It was obvious he loved his son more than anything in the world, in that moment. “Now I will do your wings, and give mine a chance to set properly. Come!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was slow going. Daedalus’s hands fumbled with the straps. He had a hard time keeping the wings in position while he sealed them. His own metal wings seemed to weigh him down, getting in his way while he tried to work. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Too slow,” the old man muttered. “I am too slow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take your time, Father,” Icarus said. “The guards aren’t due until-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>BOOM!</span>
  </em>
  <span> The workshop doors shuddered. Daedalus had barred them from the inside with a wooden brace, but still they shook on their hinges. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hurry!” Icarus cried.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>BOOM! BOOM!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Something heavy was slamming into the doors. The brace held, but a crack appeared in the left door. Daedalus worked furiously. A drop of hot wax spilled onto Icarus’s shoulder. The boy winced but did not cry out. When his left wing was sealed to the straps, Daedalus began working on the right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We must have more time,” Daedalus murmured. “They are too early! We need more time for the seal to hold.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be fine,” Icarus said as his father finished the right wing. “Help me with the manhole-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>CRASH!</span>
  </em>
  <span> The doors splintered and the head of a bronze battering ram emerged through the breach. Axes cleared the debris, and two armed guards entered the room, followed by the king with the golden crown and the spear-shaped beard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, well,” the king said with a cruel smile. “Going somewhere?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daedalus and his son froze, their metal wings glimmering on their backs. “We’re leaving, Minos,” the old man said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>King Minos chuckled. “I was curious to see how far you’d get on this little project before I dashed your hopes. I must say I’m impressed.” The king admired their wings. “You look like metal chickens,” he decided. “Perhaps we should pluck you and make a soup.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The guards laughed stupidly. “Metal chickens,” one repeated. “Soup.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” the king said. Then he turned again to Daedalus. “You let my daughter escape, old man. You drove my wife to madness. You killed my monster and made me the laughing stock of the Mediterranean. You will never escape me!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Icarus grabbed the wax gun and sprayed it at the King, who stepped back in surprise. The guards rushed forward, but each got a stream of hot wax in his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The vent!” Icarus yelled to his father. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get them!” King Minos raged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Together, the old man and his son prised open the manhole cover, and a column of hot air blasted out of the ground. The king watched, incredulous, as the inventor and his son shot into the sky on their bronze wings, carried by the updraught. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shoot them!” the king yelled, but his guards had brought no bows. One threw his sword in desperation, but Daedalus and Icarus were already out of reach. They wheeled above the maze and the king’s palace, then zoomed across the city of Knossos and out past the rocky shores of Crete. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Icarus laughed. “Free, Father! You did it.” The boy spread his wings to their full limit and soared away on the wind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait!” Daedalus called. “Be careful!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Icarus was already out over the open sea, heading north and laughing for their good luck. He soared up and scared an eagle out of its flight path, then plummeted towards the sea like he was born to fly, pulling out of a nosedive at the last second. His sandals skimmed the waves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop that!” Daedalus called. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the wind carried his voice away. His son was drunk on his own freedom. The old man struggled to catch up, gliding clumsily after his son. They were miles from Crete, over deep sea, when Icarus looked back and saw his father’s worried expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Icarus smiled. “Don’t worry, Father! You’re a genius! I trust your handiwork-” The first metal feather shook loose from his wings and fluttered away. Then another. Icarus wobbled in midair. Suddenly he was shedding bronze feathers, which twirled away from him like a flock of frightened birds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Icarus!” his father cried. “Glide! Extend the wings. Stay as still as possible!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Icarus flapped his arms, desperately trying to reassert control. The left wing went first – ripping away from the straps. “Father!” Icarus cried. And then he fell, the wings stripped away until he was just a boy in a climbing harness and a white tunic, his arms extended in a useless attempt to glide. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy awoke to the feeling of falling, which was not his ideal way of starting the day… night, or whatever time it was right now. The corridor was dark, as well, which made it that much harder to convince himself that he was not, in fact, sitting at the bottom of a pit to Tartarus. It was several minutes before his heartbeat was anywhere near reasonable, and he didn’t say anything as he joined his friends for a quick breakfast of granola bars and juice boxes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They didn’t really bother doing anything else resembling their usual morning routines before they got moving again. The old stone tunnels changed to earth with cedar beams, like an abandoned coal mine and they were amature spelunkers. Annabeth grew more and more agitated as they trekked on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t right,” she said. “It should still be stone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The four of them came to a cave where stalactites hung low from the ceiling. In the centre of the dirt floor was a rectangular pit, like a grave waiting to be filled. Out of some morbid curiosity, Percy stepped closer to examine it. The edges were jagged, and there was something orange and mushy around the edges that smelled like… ambrosia. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover shivered. “It smells like the Underworld in here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy, meanwhile, was rapidly flicking back and forth between elation and horror. “Nico,” he muttered to himself. “He was summoning something here…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson whimpered. “Ghosts were here. I don’t like ghosts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The whole situation filled him with a sense of urgency - or maybe he was exhausted, who knows; but the next thing he knew, Percy was taking off running ahead of the group. Annabeth called after him, but he didn’t slow down for an instant. Ducking into a tunnel, he soon saw light ahead and went towards it. By the time Annabeth, Grover and Tyson had caught up, he was staring at sunlight streaming through a steel grate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>About to look away and start looking for the next pathway to take, a shadow passed over the great - a cow. It was cherry red, which was really the only odd thing about it, and it mooed softly before attempting to place a hesitant hoof on the grate. Immediately, the cow backed away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a cattle grid,” Grover said. “They put them at the gates of ranches so cows can’t get out. They can’t walk on them.” He huffed indignantly. “They’re so annoying!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Looks like our exit, wise girl,” Percy said, actually thinking more about the likelihood that Nico had found his way out through here, this time. At the very least, the kid would have tried, and if it was possible there was a good chance he succeeded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hesitated. “All right. But how do we get out?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson solved that problem by hitting the cattle grid with both hands. It popped off and went flying out of sight. They all heard a </span>
  <em>
    <span>CLANG! </span>
  </em>
  <span>and a startled “Moo!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson blushed. “Sorry, cow!” he called, before helping the rest of them out of the opening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were on a ranch, it seemed. Rolling hills stretched to the horizon, dotted with oak trees and cacti and boulders. A barbed-wire fence ran from the gate in either direction. Cherry-coloured cows roamed around, grazing on clumps of grass. Overall, a pretty peaceful setting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Red cattle,” Annabeth said. “The cattle of the sun.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy remembered the red cows, alright, mostly because of how startling they were to see the first time. But the rest of the landscape may as well have been the surface of the moon, for all he’d be able to navigate it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Grover called out. “Listen.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was nothing at first, then the faint sound of baying dogs. Or, by his best recollection, two thirds of a greyhound-Cerberus. It was snarling and snapping at them before it even became visible, pushing through the line of bushes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bad Janus dog!” Tyson cried as it came nearer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Arf!” Grover told it, and raised a hand in greeting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two-headed dog bared its teeth, clearly unimpressed that the satyre could talk to it. Then its master lumbered out of the woods; a huge guy with stark white hair, a straw cowboy hat and a braided white beard. He was wearing jeans, a Don’t Mess with Texas T-shirt, and a denim jacket with the sleeves ripped off so you could see his muscles. On his right bicep was a crossed-swords tattoo. He held a wooden club about the size of a nuclear warhead, with twenty-centimetre spikes bristling at the business end. Eurytion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Heel, Orthus,” he told the dog. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The dog growled at them once more, just to make his feelings clear, then circled back to his master’s feet. The man looked each of them up and down, keeping his club ready.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’ve we got here?” he asked. “Cattle rustlers?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just travellers,” Annabeth said. “We’re on a quest.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man’s eye twitched. “Half-bloods, eh?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Deciding the rest of this conversation probably didn’t need him, Percy tuned out Annabeth introducing them all as he scanned the area for signs of a certain wayward Ghost King. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“-ther one?” was the first words he heard when he started listening again, disappointed with the lack of any real evidence. The grass was just a little too tall to see footprints in the mud, and there weren’t exactly any more abandoned Mythomagic cards. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We get a load of visitors from the Labyrinth,” Eurytion said darkly. “Not many ever leave.” The cowherd glanced behind him like someone was watching. Then he lowered his voice. “I’m only going to say this once, demigods. Get back in the maze now. Before it’s too late.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not leaving,” Annabeth insisted. “Not until we see this other demigod. Please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eurytion grunted. “Then you leave me no choice, missy. I’ve got to take you to see the boss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t exactly feel like a hostage situation, even if he knew that, in essence, that’s exactly what it was. Eurytion held his weapon casually over his shoulder, a constant silent reminder that it was there and he knew how to use it. And the two-headed dog, Orthus, walked alongside him, occasionally ducking into the bushes to chase animals, displaying his definitely-faster-than-a-half-blood legs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They walked down a dirt path that must’ve been just a few miles long, which would’ve been fine if it wasn’t somewhere around ninety or a hundred degrees outside. Heat shined in the air, creating illusions of water puddles in the distance, forever moving just out of reach. Percy was careful to wrap his metal arm in a spare shirt from his bag, so that it wouldn’t accidentally scald him later. Flies swarmed all of them, but were actually more annoying for their noise than anything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Every so often they’d see a pen full of red cows or even stranger animals. Once there was a corral where the fence was coated in asbestos. Inside, a herd of fire-breathing horses milled around. The hay in their feeding trough was on fire. The ground smoked around their feet, but the horses seemed tame enough. One big stallion looked at Percy and whinnied, columns of red flame billowing out of his nostrils. It was a terse greeting at best, and downright insulting if you read behind the lines. He chose the diplomatic option of pretending like he hadn’t heard it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally their little pack came out of the woods. Perched on a hill above was a big ranch house – all white stone and wood and big windows. Sorta pretty, but not a place he’d really want to live. Especially not with what was inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright!” Annabeth said. From experience, (and just a lot of her mentioning him and a thousand other designers,) he knew that guy was a pretty cool architect. Percy was pretty sure this was the one who focused on ‘harmony between structure and environment,’ whatever that meant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t break the rules,” Eurytion warned as they got to the top of the hill and walked up the steps to the front porch. “No fighting. No drawing weapons. And don’t make any comments about the boss’s appearance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No one had time to ask about the last rule before another voice spoke, from up on the porch: “Welcome to the Triple G Ranch.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man’s face was weathered and brown from years in the sun, and he had slick black hair and a black pencil moustache like villains have in old movies. He smiled at them, but it wasn’t friendly by any means. Something more akin to Circe whenever she saw a man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Other than that, the only odd thing was his three bodies, but Percy was well-accustomed to people with weird anatomy by now. This was fairly tame - his neck connected to the middle chest like normal, but he had two more chests, one to either side, connected at the shoulders, with a few centimetres in between. His left arm grew out of his left chest, and the same on the right, so he still only had two arms, but there was no way he’d be able to touch. The chests all connected into one enormous torso, with two regular but very beefy legs, and he wore the most oversized pair of Levis ever - like, it had to be custom made from China or something. His chests each wore a different colour Western shirt, which posed the question of how in the world he’d put on the middle one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy didn’t spend too much time thinking about it though, because staring was rude and after about six seconds of looking you definitely started treading into ‘staring’ territory. He was about to introduce himself, when someone stepped out of the glass doors onto the porch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Geryon, I -” Nico di Angelo paused at the sight of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was barely time for him to get a look at the kid before he came running up, tackling Percy in a hug. It was bruising, but that was absolutely fine with him - besides, it looked like the kid needed it. (And maybe he did too.) Nico was dirty all over, and even though his t-shirt was dark, there was a huge stain that he somehow doubted was wine or cranberry juice. Other than that, though, the boy was just a bit scraped up but in one piece. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You found me! You actually...” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course we did, buddy,” he consoled. There wasn’t a lot of room in his brain for actual coherent thought beyond ‘oh my gods, holy shit, what happened, oh my gods,’ so he didn’t say anything else. He might've been crying, but hey, his little cousin hadn’t hugged him like this, well… ever. Even after coming back, he and Nico didn’t really have that kind of relationship.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That man is wearing three shirts,” Tyson said, like he was just realizing this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Things were sort of a blur, after that. It seemed even Geryson and Eurytion sensed this was an emotional moment, and invited them all inside to get away from the heat for now. At some point they all (he, Nico, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson) ended up sitting down on some leather couches in the living room. Everyone seemed unsure where to start, until Annabeth asked Nico what had happened. None of them were exactly expecting a very happy story, but the reality was downright gruesome.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and the girl he’d been teamed with for the capture the flag game, Riley, had discovered the Labyrinth entrance trying to get away from a group of the giant scorpions. There were three at once, and they just couldn’t do it - Tyson’s shield had been destroyed in buying them some time. When they went in, it took a while for them to realize that it wasn’t just a crevice in the rocks, as the maze had taken the form of an empty stone room at the time. But when they tried to leave, the entrance was gone and they didn’t know to look for the mark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In their fear of being trapped forever, they went the only other way they could, deeper into the Labyrinth. What felt like a few hours later, they came across… something. A monster that Nico said he didn’t get a good look at, but it wasn’t friendly. It tore Riley up, bad, and she didn’t survive. That’s where the blood on the kid’s shirt was from. (Percy felt bad for being relieved that it wasn’t Nico’s blood, especially with how horrifying the experience must’ve been.) The kid had a dark look in his eyes as he described that part, and how he summoned a pack of skeleton warriors to keep it back as he ran. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico had discovered the same grate they had about a day ago, and had tried a hundred ways to open it and failed. The way he described leaning against a wall to rest, then the feeling of melting as he woke up under a tree outside was confusing, until Percy realized it must have been shadow travel. It made the most sense, and he knew they’d have to work that into the kid’s training so that he wouldn’t do it accidentally anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’ll be fun, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>An eleven-year-old who can shadow travel whenever he wants. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t much more to the story beyond the kid meeting Euryiton and being brought up to the house, just like the rest of them had earlier. He’d been planning to find a way back to camp after resting for a while; he’d come outside to let Geryon know he was leaving, and to ask for directions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The five of them sat in a sort of somber silence after that, until the Euryiton came back into the room and said that ‘the bossman wants to give you all a tour.’ Frankly, they were all grateful for the distraction, and made their way outside into the blistering heat once more. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Geryon had a trolley – like one of those kiddie trains that take you around zoos. It was painted black and white in a cowhide pattern, and the driver’s car had a set of longhorns stuck to the hood, and the horn sounded like a cowbell. It was pretty silly overall, but it was better than walking around acres and acres of land, so they all boarded without much comment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico sat in the very front, so that he could lean over the side and peer further ahead. Percy sat next to him with Annabeth, Grover and Tyson reluctantly sharing the car just behind them. Eurytion crawled into the very back with his spiked club and pulled his cowboy hat over his eyes like he was going to take a nap. Orthus jumped in the front seat next to Geryon and began barking happily in two-part harmony. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have a huge operation!” Geryon boasted as the moo-mobile lurched forward. “Horses and cattle mostly, but all sorts of exotic varieties, too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they came over a hill, Annabeth gasped. “Hippalek-tryons? I thought they were extinct!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the bottom of the hill was a fenced-in pasture with a dozen of said Hippalek-tryons, or as Percy so fondly called them, the chicken-horses. Their rear ends were that of a chicken, and if they weren’t so pretty he’d be inclined to laugh. Two of them reared up on their back legs and whinnied and flapped their wings at each other until the smaller one galloped away, its rear bird-legs putting a little hop in its step. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rooster ponies,” Tyson said in amazement. “Do they lay eggs?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Once a year!” Geryon grinned in the rearview mirror. “Very much in demand for omelettes!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s horrible!” Annabeth said. “They must be an endangered species!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon waved his hand. “Gold is gold, darling. And you haven’t tasted the omelettes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not right,” Grover murmured, but Geryon just kept narrating the tour. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, over here," he said, “we have our fire-breathing horses, which you may have seen on your way in. They’re bred for war, naturally.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What war?” Nico asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon grinned slyly. “Oh, whichever one comes along. And over yonder, of course, are our prized red cows.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, hundreds of the cherry-coloured cattle were grazing the side of a hill. Percy wondered idly if they made strawberry milk - he remembered monsters, but not so much about the peaceful animals. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So many,” Grover said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, well, Apollo is too busy to see to them,” Geryon explained, “so he subcontracts to us. We breed them vigorously because there’s such a demand.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What for?” he thought to ask. “They’re sacred, aren’t they? Are you even allowed to sell them?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon raised an eyebrow. “Meat, of course! Armies have to eat.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You kill the sacred cows of the sun god for hamburger meat?” Grover said. “That’s against the ancient laws!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, don’t get so worked up, satyr. They’re just animals.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just animals!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, and if Apollo cared, I’m sure he would tell us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’know, this is all very cool, but maybe we should get going soon.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All in good time, Mr Jackson. Look over here: some of my exotic game.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next field was ringed in barbed wire. The whole area was crawling with giant scorpions, and he thought of Daedalus for a moment, which made him think about camp. No one had any idea they’d found Nico, but if it meant he could put off telling the Hermes cabin about their fallen cabin mate, he might hold off on that iris-message for a while. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, over here are my prize stables!” Geryon said, interrupting his thoughts. “You must see them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, there wasn’t much need to see the stables, because they could </span>
  <em>
    <span>smell </span>
  </em>
  <span>it from half a kilometer away. Near the banks of a green river was a horse corral the size of a football field, stables lining one side of it. About a hundred horses were milling around in the muck. Percy’s first thought was. ‘how could anyone treat horses like this?’ His second thought was, ‘oh, right, they’ll eat anyone who comes close enough.’ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is that?” Nico asked in a bit of a nasally voice, as he already had the good sense to pinch his nose and move to the other side of the cart. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My stables!” Geryon said. “Well, actually they belong to Aegeas, but we watch over them for a small monthly fee. Aren’t they lovely?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re disgusting!” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lots of poop,” Tyson observed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How can you keep animals like that?” Grover cried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y’all gettin’ on my nerves,” Geryon said. “These are flesh-eating horses, see? They like these conditions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Plus, you’re too cheap to have them cleaned,” Eurytion mumbled from under his hat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Quiet!” Geryon snapped. “All right, perhaps the stables are a bit challenging to clean. Perhaps they do make me nauseous when the wind blows the wrong way. But so what? My clients still pay me well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re a monster,” Annabeth decided. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon stopped the moo-mobile and turned to look at her. “What gave it away? Was it the three bodies?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have to let these animals go,” Grover said. “It’s not right!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And the clients you keep talking about,”Annabeth said. “You work for Kronos, don’t you? You’re supplying his army with horses, food, whatever they need.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy thought that was a very stupid accusation to make without a weapon ready, but Geryon just shrugged. (Which was very weird since he had three sets of shoulders. It looked like he was doing the wave all by himself.) “I work for anyone with gold, young lady. I’m a businessman. And I sell them anything I have to offer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He climbed out of the moo-mobile and strolled towards the stables as if enjoying the fresh air. Really, it would’ve been a nice day out save for the truck load of horse crap off to their right, and the heat. The latter problem made the former a lot more upsetting, so he tried to put his mind elsewhere.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy slid his hand under the shirt still tied over his left arm, and checked how hot the metal was getting. It was tolerable for a few seconds, but it was getting uncomfortable where he could feel celestial bronze meet skin around his elbow. He really wanted to leave soon, but hadn’t thought of a good enough reason to convince his friends to get back into the maze yet. Unless their lives were in immediate danger worse than what the Labyrinth held, he doubted Grover would set hoof in there readily, and they couldn’t just set off on foot. Granted, he had no idea where exactly Triple G Ranch was located, but he doubted it was very close to camp. Luke would raise Hades if he actually made it to camp.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon was speaking again, but Percy hadn’t caught if anyone had asked a question. Maybe not, considering this guy liked to talk a lot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you see, half-bloods, I get offered good money for a whole variety of goods - sometimes it’s something I can grow and raise myself here on the farm, and sometimes it’s something I can find. Like powerful half-bloods wandering into places they shouldn’t be. Luke Castellan is particularly interested in that product, wouldn’t you know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>None of them moved fast enough before Orthus was laying half across Percy and snarling at Nico, keeping both just as effectively pinned to their seats. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would stay in the car, all of you,” Geryon warned. “Or Orthus will be getting a new chew-toy. Now, Eurytion, if you would be so kind, secure Mr di Angelo.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cowherd spat into the grass. “Do I have to?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you fool!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eurytion looked bored, but he hopped out of his cart, lumbered over, and pulled Nico out of his seat by the scruff of his neck. He wasn’t happy about it, but the son of Poseidon knew when to beat the shit out of someone and when to wait for a better opportunity. Preferably, when his little cousin wasn’t in the perfect position to be strangled, and an angry monster-dog’s jaws weren’t just feet away from his own face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now,” Geryon said cheerfully, “we’ve had the tour. Let’s go back to the lodge, have some lunch, and send an Iris-message to our friends in the Titan army.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You fiend!” Annabeth cried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon smiled at her. “Don’t worry, my dear. Once I’ve delivered Mr di Angelo, you and your party can go. I don’t interfere with quests. Besides, I’ve been paid well to give you safe passage, which does not, I’m afraid, include Mr di Angelo.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It occurred to him to wonder then, just how anyone knew Nico’s parentage just yet. Well, assuming Nico hadn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>told </span>
  </em>
  <span>Geryon himself at some point, the only thing Percy could think of was that someone was listening in when the kid told them what had happened earlier. Or maybe Luke had a few inconspicuous eyes and ears around camp; he wouldn’t put it past the guy to leave a few of his friends around camp for updates. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Paid by whom?” Annabeth asked, interrupting his thoughts. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Never you mind, darlin.’ Let’s be off, shall we?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait a sec,” Percy said, mindful of Orthus turning one of his heads to growl at him. “You like to make deals.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon narrowed his eyes, but nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There has something you want more than Luke’s gold. Make me a deal - I do something for you, and you let us go. </span>
  <em>
    <span>All </span>
  </em>
  <span>of us.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He seemed to think for a moment before Eurytion piped up with an innocent sounding: “You could have him clean the stables.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy nodded. “I can do that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Assuming the horses don’t eat you,” Geryon observed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Even if they do, you still have Nico, and get rid of one of Luke’s most troublesome enemies. I’m sure you could charge him something for that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon chuckled. “Percy Jackson, those stables haven’t been cleaned in a thousand years… though it’s true I might be able to sell more stable space if all that poop was cleared away.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what do you say?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rancher hesitated. “All right, I’ll accept your offer, but you have to get it done by sunset. If you fail, your friends get sold, and I get rich.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy wanted to make him swear, to promise it on the River Styx - but he didn’t have a lot of leverage here. If he pushed the guy too far the deal would be off and they’d have a lot fewer options. As it was, having at least one person on the outside would be a lot better than all of them tied up while they waited for Luke to come take Nico away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, I’m going to take your friends with me back to the lodge. We’ll wait for you there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eurytion gave him a funny look. It might have been sympathy. He whistled, and the dog jumped off of Percy and onto Annabeth’s lap. She yelped. Tyson and Grover wouldn’t do anything with her being held hostage, which might be a good or bad thing depending on how he looked at it. As he stepped out of the car, he paused by her seat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hope you know what you’re doing,” she said quietly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, wise girl.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon got behind the driver’s wheel. Eurytion hauled Nico into the back seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sunset,” Geryon reminded. “No later.” He laughed, sounded his cowbell horn, and the moo-mobile rumbled off down the trail.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy had to take the shirt wrapped around his arm and tie it around his face as he got closer. The smell was worse than he remembered - maybe he had just been subconsciously choosing to forget. Either way, it sucked, and one stallion waded through the muck to whinney angrily at him. She bared her teeth, (sharp like a wolf’s) and he let himself reach out mentally to speak with her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m gonna clean your stables, okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes! </span>
  </em>
  <span>The horse said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Come inside! Eat you! Tasty half-blood!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed, mumbling under his breath “Should’ve figured being Poesidon’s son won’t get be anywhere with them...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The horse cheered enthusiastically. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Poseidon-son, yes, Poseidon can come in, too! We will eat you both! Seafood!</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Seafood! </span>
  </em>
  <span>The other horses chimed in as they waded through the field. It conjured the unpleasant thought as to whether he counted as a surf n’ turf platter all on his own, or if he was still just red meat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flies were buzzing everywhere, and the heat of the day didn’t make the smell any better. Percy looked downhill to where the River was, and knew immediately he was going to have to walk down and guide the water up with him. It was about a kilometer away, and he just couldn’t reach that far - but he could keep a hold on the water for that long of a walk, probably. Groaning at the idea of walking anymore in this heat, he searched for nearby groundwater first. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was pleasantly surprised to find not just water, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>saltwater </span>
  </em>
  <span>beneath him. It was a bit far, but he could feel it clear as day. Images of seashells and an angry-looking Naiad flashed in his mind, and he grinned. A few spurts of water blasted through the dirt, before growing into half a dozen miniature fountains. Sighing at the feel of it misting on his skin, he was tempted to jump into one - before reminding himself he had a job to do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A couple of horses came over to check it out. One put his mouth to a spring and recoiled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yuck! </span>
  </em>
  <span>he said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Salty! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Laughing as he jogged a little ways along the stable fences, more fountains of water popped up randomly, (probably wherever the soil was weakest,) clearing away the dung and pulling it back into the ground. He didn’t really want to ruin the freshwater down hill, so dragging it down into the underground reservoir was the best he could think of. If Thalia was there he might’ve asked her to air-lift it all and dump it on Geryon’s house. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stop! </span>
  </em>
  <span>The horses cried. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Meat is good! Baths are bad!</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The horses were going crazy, running back and forth as the geysers sprayed them from all directions. Mountains of poop sank through the mud back down into the earth. He felt strong, and it was something he wanted to take a moment to appreciate - considering he didn’t actually get to feel that way very often anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stop, lord!</span>
  </em>
  <span> a horse cried.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Stop, please! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Water was sloshing everywhere now. The horses were drenched, and some were panicking and slipping in the mud. The poop was completely gone, tons of it just dissolved into the earth, and the water was now starting to pool, trickling out of the stable, making a hundred little streams down towards the river. Immediately, he threw out a hand and commanded the water to stop. It was only after the water had gone completely that he realized how tired he was. As the water drained away like fleeting adrenaline, he collapsed into the grass. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In front of him though, was a shiny, clean horse stable; a field of wet, salty mud and fifty horses that had been scoured so thoroughly, their coats gleamed. Even the meat scraps between their teeth had been washed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We won’t eat you! The horses wailed.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Please, lord! No more salty baths!</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” he promised placatingly. “Just promise me you’ll quit eating anything not brought to you by your handlers, okay? Humans aren’t healthy for you, it’s all bad meat most of the time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The horses whinnied and made me a whole lot of promises that they would be good flesh-eating horses from now on, but he didn’t really listen. Gathering himself up and standing once his legs finally stopped shaking, Percy was proud to notice that the sun still had at least another hour or two before it would set. He had time to let his heart stop racing before saving his friends from being barbequed. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy smelled barbeque as he got near the farmhouse, which made his stomach rumble uncomfortably - neither he nor his friends had had anything very filling since Hera’s sandwiches. The deck was set up for a party: streamers and balloons decorated the railing. Geryon was flipping burgers on a huge barbecue cooker made from an oil drum. Eurytion lounged at a picnic table, picking his fingernails with a knife. The two-headed dog sniffed the ribs and burgers that were frying on the grill. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then he caught sight of his friends: Tyson, Grover, Annabeth and Nico all tossed in a corner, tied up like rodeo animals, with their ankles and wrists roped together and their mouths gagged. Orthus was growling at Grover and looking like he really wanted a barbequed Satyr for dinner.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stables are clean!” Percy called as he stepped up onto the deck. “Now let them go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon turned. He wore an apron on each chest, with one word on each, so together they spelled out: KISS – THE – CHEF. “Did you, now? How’d you manage it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He huffed, but told the briefest version of how it’d gone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon nodded appreciatively. “Very ingenious. It would’ve been better if you’d poisoned that pesky naiad’s river, but no matter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now let my friends go,” Percy tapped a foot impatiently, but inside he was pretty much resigned to this not ending well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I’ve been thinking about that. The problem is, if I let them go, I don’t get paid.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We had a deal,” he insisted without much fire.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon made a tsk~tsk noise. “But did you make me swear on the River Styx? No you didn’t. So it’s not binding. When you’re conducting business, sonny, you should always get a binding oath.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm. That’s too bad, wouldn’t have pegged you for such an unreliable guy. Really not a good business model.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eurytion,” Geryon said, turning away from him completely, “the boy is starting to annoy me. Kill him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The farmhand studied Percy for a moment. “Kill him yourself,” he finally said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “You heard me,” Eurytion grumbled. “You keep sending me out to do your dirty work. You pick fights for no good reason, and I’m tired of dying for you. You want to fight the kid, do it yourself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was nice not to have to go up against the huge club, but in the face of Geryon that wasn’t much of a commodity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Geryon threw down his spatula. “You dare defy me? I should fire you right now!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And who’d take care of your cattle? Orthus, heel.” The dog immediately stopped growling at Grover and came to sit by the cowherd’s feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine!” Geryon snarled. “I’ll deal with you later, after the boy is dead!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He picked up two carving knives and threw them at Percy. Reacting without really thinking, he held his arms up in front of his face. One knife bounced off his left arm with an ear-ringing clang of metal-on-metal, and the other seemed to glide off the side and embed itself into the wooden table to his left, less than an inch from Eurytion’s hand. Not pausing long enough to even be pleased with the result, Percy reached into his pocket and drew Anaklusmos. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His first attack was a wide sweep at Geryon’s center-most chest, just trying to get a feel for his defenses. His strike was parried by a pair of red-hot tongs, before he almost lost an eye to a barbecue fork. Leaping back, he tried to think of a way to get all three hearts at once - at the very least, he needed to hit all three before one had a chance to heal. Dodging around for a few moments, he mostly had fun watching Geryon knock over the barbeque and a small side-table with utensils over in the limited space.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One of the coals from the barbeque landed next to Annabeth’s face though, and she let out a muffled scream. Tyson strained against his bonds, but even his strength wasn’t enough to break them. Grover looked ready to faint, but was kicking his legs like he was trying to wiggle out of the ropes anyway. He didn’t get the chance to look at what Nico was doing before he ducked into the house, trying to bring the danger away from his friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Coward!” Geryon cried. “Come back and die right!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The living-room walls were decorated with a bunch of faintly familiar hunting trophies – stuffed deer and dragon heads, a gun case, a sword display and a bow with a quiver. Geryon threw his barbecue fork, and it thudded into the wall right by his head as he ducked. Geryon drew two swords from the wall display. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your head’s gonna go right there, Jackson! Next to the grizzly bear!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy had a stupid idea. But he’s had a lot of stupid ideas that worked, so…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yanking the barbeque fork out of the wall, he held it in one hand and Riptide in the other. Diving forward and under Geryon’s twin blades, he shoved the fork into his left-most chest’s heart, before plunging his sword through the center one. As his opponent groaned in pain and dropped to his knees for a moment, he wrestled one of the swords away from Geryon and aimed at the right-most heart. Percy didn’t wait to see if he’d been quick enough before sprinting over to the stairs and out of the way, ready to run upstairs and dive out a window if he had to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From where he was, he could see the monster’s face turn a sickly shade of green as he began crumbling into sand, until all that was left were three cooking aprons and an oversized pair of cowboy boots. Riptide and the other two weapons clattered to the floor unceremoniously. He could swear he’d caught just a whisper of something being said before Geryon died, but he was too far away to make it out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anticlimactic, he thought, for a guy who’d been so confident - but he just shook his head and went outside to get his friends untied. Surprisingly, Nico didn’t need any help - by the time Percy reached him, the kid had cut through his bonds with a discarded steak knife. With how everything was scattered across the deck, it would have been pretty easy, especially with no one paying much attention to the hostages the whole fight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yay for Percy!” Tyson said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can we tie up this other guy now?” Nico asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Grover agreed. “And that dog almost killed me!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked at Eurytion, who was still sitting at the picnic table. Orthus had both his heads on the cowherd’s knees. Despite his instincts telling him Triple-G Ranch’s owner wouldn’t be back anytime soon, he felt the need to ask how long it might take him to re-form.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eurytion shrugged. “Hundred years? He’s not one of those fast re-formers, thank the gods. You’ve done me a favour.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve worked here for a long time. Why?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve worked for that creep for thousands of years. Started as a regular half-blood, but I chose immortality when my dad offered it. Worst mistake I ever made. Now I’m stuck here at this ranch. I can’t leave. I can’t quit. I just tend the cows and fight Geryon’s fights. We’re kinda tied together.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you can change things, then.” Percy said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eurytion narrowed his eyes. “How?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Be nice to the animals, take care of them and quit selling them. Stop dealing with the Titans. Put up some ‘hang-in-there’ posters,” he shrugged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eurytion thought about that. “That’d be alright.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you get the animals on your side, they’ll help you. Once Geryon gets back, maybe he’ll be working for you this time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eurytion grinned. “Now that I could live with.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You won’t try to stop us from leaving?” Grover asked tentatively. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shoot, no.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth rubbed her bruised wrists. She was still looking at Eurytion suspiciously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Your boss said that somebody paid for our safe passage. Who?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cowherd shrugged. “Maybe he was just saying that to fool you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you message anyone about Nico yet?” Percy felt the need to ask.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope. Geryon was waiting until after the barbecue. They don’t know anything about him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone was relieved at that, but now they were stuck without much to do. The sun was starting to turn the sky orange as it made it’s descent, so they chose to stay the night, at least. Percy couldn’t even argue - he wanted some rest outside of that maze too, and Eurytion offered to let them use the kitchen and make themselves dinner. They accepted easily, because even if Orthus </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>sniffing at them curiously, Percy wouldn’t exactly want to try the floor-burgers. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Settling in to sleep was awkward. On the one hand, they were about as safe as they could get on a piece of private-property where all the dangerous creatures were already fenced in. On the other, all of them but Nico had been on a Quest before and knew the importance of setting up a night-watch, even when everyone was exhausted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the end, sleeping inside gave them just enough peace of mind to forgo making anyone stay up. He and Grover crashed on the leather couches in Geryon’s living room, which was a lot more comfortable than a bedroll in the maze, but didn’t get him to sleep any faster. Smushing his face into a throw pillow with some awful green and brown design, he debated going out to the river for a midnight swim. It’d wake him up more than put him to sleep, but at least he’d feel semi-refreshed when they set out in the morning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as he was working up to actually levering himself off the couch, something caught his attention - Nico, who was lying wide-awake in his bedroll on the floor, not five feet away. Percy frowned, before sitting up with an uncomfortable crack of his spine. Right, the kid had been through a lot in the past… however many hours or days it’d been for him in that maze. And as a son of Hades, he would be a lot more sensitive to death in general - no, scratch that, as </span>
  <em>
    <span>a child, </span>
  </em>
  <span>who had never seen war, who had never visited Tartarus, who had never had the chance to harden his heart to those things… yeah, why had he assumed Nico would be sleeping tonight?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sliding off the couch and stepping quietly towards the front door, he looked back to give the kid a sort of ‘you coming?’ look, before turning back. He only stepped through the threshold into the warm night air when he heard the light tap of feet behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a bit of a walk to the river, but they had time. First he just wanted to clear his head and figure out how to be an adult for once. He’d never taken actual grief counseling, just a few hour-long sessions with an older, retired half-blood who helped him cope with things better than he had been. And really, did he want to give Nico the advice that he’d been given? Like, ‘hey, don’t try to drown yourself in the sink at three am after a night-terror and then cry when you can’t and curse your father for being such a jackass about keeping you alive’. Nico deserved better than that. But Percy also had no experience with making people feel better, and the only advice he had about dealing with death wasn’t exactly healthy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they were maybe a hundred feet out from the river, Nico finally spoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are we out here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What, never heard of night swimming before?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, he didn’t bother taking off anything but his socks and shoes when they got to the bank. The water was cool against his skin, and covered him without soaking his clothes. It used to be a weird sensation, floating in water but not really being wet, but now it generally felt weird to step out of a shower and need a towel for anything but his hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico was still standing with his feet in the sand of the beach, looking a lot more exhausted than any eleven-year-old had any right to be. After a few minutes, he also took off his shoes and socks, and stepped into the water up to his knees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Eh, good enough. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy… I can summon dead people, but…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re always just random skeletons or ghosts. Do you think I could ever bring someone… specific? Or do I… do I have to go back to where they died?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh, dangerous territory. Bring-back-Bianca-at-the-cost-of-another-soul kinda dangerous. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, Nico. But I don’t think you should be worrying about that. Dead people… are supposed to stay dead. Even if you want them back, you’d be really pissing off the fates. And your dad.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And why should I care what they think!?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ah, now </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>was familiar. Standing up in the water - or, well, sitting on the surface while subtly willing it to hold him up - he looked Nico in the eyes and motioned for him to come closer. The kid was still fuming, but did so, hesitantly sitting next to him on the semi-solid platform of water.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico, it’s alright to be angry, I get it. I’ve been where you are - I lost friends that I just couldn’t save. Either I made the wrong choice, or I didn’t know everything I needed to, and it hurts like hell. It really hurts, even when you </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>have done anything better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Who’d you lose?” The kid (no, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span>, as much as he wanted to give Nico a childhood that time was past now. He needs to respect Nico like the equal he is, here) seemed a bit calmer at that, if only because his voice was sounding tentatively hopeful. For someone who could understand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy took the time to think about it. He can’t say names, obviously, but… “Well, there was this… we weren’t close friends or anything, but she was a nice girl and she was in a lot of pain. She’d lost someone she loved a lot, and I think she either stopped caring, or cared too much…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that was how the rest of their night went, Percy carefully recounting the deaths of all of his friends, while Nico listened and occasionally asked questions. Mostly along the lines of how to deal with it, how to stop feeling so angry and useless when it happens. And if there were some tears - from both of them - well he’s pretty sure the River Naiad isn’t telling any tales. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>When they returned to the cabin, the sun was just barely rising, but no one was awake just yet. Percy flopped back onto the couch and tried to catch a few minutes of rest. He couldn’t remember exactly when the black behind his eyelids became blacker, until he woke up in a dream. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Luke were walking through the dark palace on top of Mount Tam. It was a real building now – not some half-finished illusion like it had been last winter. Green fires burned in braziers along the walls. The floor was polished black marble. A cold wind blew down the hallway, and above them through the open ceiling the sky swirled with grey storm clouds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke was dressed for battle. He wore camouflage combats, a white T-shirt and a bronze breastplate, but Backbiter wasn’t at his side – only an empty scabbard. They walked into a large courtyard where dozens of warriors and dracaenae were preparing for war. When they saw him, the demigods rose to attention. They beat their swords against their shields. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Issss it time, my lord?” a dracaena asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Soon,” Luke promised. “Continue your work.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My lord,” a voice said from behind. Kelli was smiling at him. She wore a blue dress tonight, which somehow went well with her eyes that seemed to flicker - sometimes brown, sometimes pure red. Her hair was braided down her back and seemed to catch the light of the torches, as if it were anxious to turn back into a roaring flame. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He waited for her to notice him, but apparently her senses were a bit duller tonight. He stepped a few cautious steps to the side and out of her immediate vision though, just in case. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have a visitor,” she told Luke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stepped aside, and even Luke seemed stunned by what he saw. The monster Kampê towered above him. Her snakes hissed around her legs, animal heads growled at her waist. Her swords were drawn, shimmering with poison, and with her bat wings extended, she took up the entire corridor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You.” Luke’s voice sounded a little shaky. “I told you to stay on Alcatraz.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kampê’s eyelids blinked sideways like a reptile’s. She spoke in that weird rumbling language, but in his dream he was able to understand: </span>
  <b>
    <em>I come to serve. Give me revenge. </em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re a jailer,” Luke said. “Your job–”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em> I will have them dead. No one escapes me. </em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke hesitated. A line of sweat trickled down the side of his face. “Very well,” he acquiesced. “You will go with us. You may carry Ariadne’s string. It is a position of great honour.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kampê hissed at the stars. She sheathed her swords and turned, pounding down the hallway on her enormous dragon legs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should have left that one in Tartarus,” Luke mumbled. “She is too chaotic. Too powerful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kelli laughed softly. “You should not fear power, Luke. Use it!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy never thought he’d be agreeing with Kelli. But if he’d had someone like Kampê on his side… well he’s pretty sure there’d be a lot less danger of someone trying to invade the camp.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The sooner we leave, the better,” Luke said. “I want this over with.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aww,” Kelli sympathized, running a finger down his arm. “You find it unpleasant to destroy your old camp?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t say that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not having second thoughts about your own, ah, special part?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke’s face turned stony. “I know my duty.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is good,” the demon said. “Is our strike force sufficient, do you think? Or will I need to call Mother Hecate for help?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have more than enough,” Luke said grimly. “The deal is almost complete. All I need now is to negotiate safe passage through the arena.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mmm,” Kelli said. “That should be interesting. I would hate to see your handsome head on a spike if you fail.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will not fail. And you, demon, don’t you have other matters to attend to?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yes.” Kelli smiled. “I am bringing despair to our eavesdropping enemies. I am doing that right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned her eyes directly on Percy, exposed her talons and ripped him to shreds. He awoke at the top of a stone tower overlooking rocky cliffs and the ocean below. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The old man Daedalus was hunched over a worktable, wrestling with some kind of navigational instrument, like a huge compass. He looked years older than before - he was stooped and his hands were gnarled. He cursed in Ancient Greek and squinted as if he couldn’t see his work, even though it was a sunny day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uncle!” a voice called. A smiling boy maybe ten or twelve came bounding up the steps, carrying a wooden box. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Perdix,” the old man said, though his tone sounded cold. “Done with your projects already?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Uncle. They were easy!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daedalus scowled. “Easy? The problem of moving water uphill without a pump was easy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yes! Look!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy dumped his box and rummaged through the junk. He came up with a strip of papyrus and showed the old inventor some diagrams and notes. They didn’t make much sense to Percy, though they reminded him a bit of Roman aqueducts, but Daedalus nodded grudgingly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see. Not bad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The king loved it!” Perdix said. “He said I might be even smarter than you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did he now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I don’t believe that. I’m so glad Mother sent me to study with you! I want to know everything you do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Daedalus muttered. “So when I die, you can take my place, eh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy’s eyes widened. “Oh no, Uncle! But I’ve been thinking… why does a man have to die, anyway?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The inventor scowled. “It is the way of things, lad. Everything dies but the gods.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But why?” the boy insisted. “If you could capture the animus, the soul in another form… Well, you’ve told me about your automatons, Uncle. Bulls, eagles, dragons, horses of bronze. Why not a bronze form for a man?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, my boy,” Daedalus said sharply. “You are naive. Such a thing is impossible.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so,” Perdix insisted. “With the use of a little magic –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Magic? Bah!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Uncle! Magic and mechanics together – with a little work, one could make a body that would look exactly human, only better. I’ve made some notes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He handed the old man a thick scroll. Daedalus unfurled it. He read for a long time. His eyes narrowed. He glanced at the boy, then closed the scroll and cleared his throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It would never work, my boy. When you’re older, you’ll see.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I fix that astrolabe, then, Uncle? Are your joints swelling up again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The old man’s jaw clenched. “No. Thank you. Now why don’t you run along?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Perdix didn’t seem to notice the old man’s anger. He snatched a bronze beetle from his mound of stuff and ran to the edge of the tower. A low sill ringed the rim, coming just up to the boy’s knees. The wind was strong. Percy wished desperately to tell the boy he was a complete idiot, and to turn around, but he knew the fate of Daedalus’s nephew was unchangeable. Already in the distant past. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Perdix wound up the beetle and tossed it into the sky. It spread its wings and hummed away. Perdix laughed with delight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Smarter than me,” Daedalus mumbled, too softly for the boy to hear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it true your son died flying, Uncle? I heard you made him enormous wings, but they failed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daedalus’s hands clenched. “Take my place,” he muttered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The wind whipped around the boy, tugging at his clothes, making his hair ripple. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would like to fly,” Perdix said. “I’d make my own wings that wouldn’t fail. Do you think I could?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was faint, but he could see an image of the two-headed god Janus shimmering in the air next to Daedalus, smiling as he tossed a silver key from hand to hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Choose, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he whispered to the old inventor.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Choose. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daedalus picked up another one of the boy’s metal bugs. The inventor’s old eyes were red with anger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perdix,” he called. “Catch.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tossed the bronze beetle towards the boy. Delighted, Perdix tried to catch it, but the throw was too long. The beetle sailed into open sky, and Perdix reached a little too far. The wind caught him. Somehow he managed to grab the rim of the tower with his fingers as he fell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uncle!” he screamed. “Help me!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The old man’s face was a mask. He did not move from his spot. “Go on, Perdix,” Daedalus said softly. “Make your own wings. Be quick about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uncle!” the boy cried as he lost his grip. He tumbled towards the sea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a moment of deadly silence. The god Janus flickered and disappeared. Then thunder shook the sky. A woman’s stern voice spoke from above: </span>
  <em>
    <span>You will pay the price for that, Daedalus.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The voice was familiar and made Percy shudder at the tone - Athena. A goddess you never wanted to piss off.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daedalus scowled up at the heavens. “I have always honoured you, Mother. I have sacrificed everything to follow your way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yet the boy had my blessing as well. And you have killed him. For that, you must pay. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve paid and paid!” Daedalus growled. “I’ve lost everything. I’ll suffer in the Underworld, no doubt. But in the meantime…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He picked up the boy’s scroll, studied it for a moment and slipped it into his sleeve. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You do not understand, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Athena said coldly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You will pay now and forever. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly Daedalus collapsed in agony. Percy felt the pain as well - like a molten hot collar snapped around his neck, marking him forever with a simple message in the shape of a bird. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Murderer. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Percy?” Grover called from the other sofa. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He found himself unconsciously rubbing at his neck, and responded something reassuring. Or more like half of a bad excuse. There were muffled voices coming from the direction of the TV - a quick glance told him it was the nature channel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What… uh, what time is it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“About seven. Everyone else is already up, though. I think I saw Tyson trying to help Annabeth make breakfast.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blinking the rest of the blurriness from his eyes, Percy noticed the redness around Grover’s eyes. He’d definitely been crying, and didn’t look like he’d slept well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everything alright, buddy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sniffled. “I miss Juniper.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Well, you’ll see her soon.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover shook his head sadly. “Do you know what day it is, Percy? I just saw it on TV. It’s June thirteenth. Seven days since we left camp.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh… shit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover nodded, agreeing with his less-than-eloquent reaction, and glumly put the TV remote in his mouth and crunched off the end of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m out of time,” he said with a mouthful of plastic. “As soon as I go back, they’ll take away my searcher’s licence. I’ll never be allowed to go out again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t talk like that, I’m sure we’ll work things out. We always do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover swallowed. “The world is dying, Percy. Every day it gets worse. The wild… I can just feel it fading. I have to find Pan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you will. Remember? You’re gonna be the first satyr to find Pan in two thousand years.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover looked at him sadly. “You’ve always been a good friend, Percy. What you did today – saving the ranch animals from Geryon – that was amazing. I – I wish I could be more like you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy huffed a laugh and shook his head. “No, you don’t. You’re better than me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m not. I keep trying, but…” He sighed. “Percy, I can’t go back to camp without finding Pan. I just can’t. You understand that, don’t you? I can’t face Juniper if I fail. I can’t even face myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was hard to hear his best friend be so down on himself, especially when Percy </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>things would get better but couldn’t tell Grover how. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll figure out something,” he said once more, a bit firmer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Annabeth called that the food was ready and that they’d better hurry up or she was giving their plates to Orthus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After eating, they went down to the cattle ranch, bidding goodbye to Eurytion and Orthus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, good luck in there. I recon’ you’ll be looking for Daedalus’s workshop now?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth’s eyes lit up. “Can you help us?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eurytion studied the cattle grid, and looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Don’t know where it is. But Hephaestus probably would.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s what Hera said,” Annabeth agreed. “But how do we find Hephaestus?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eurytion pulled something from under the collar of his shirt. It was a necklace – a smooth silver disc on a silver chain. The disc had a depression on the middle, like a thumbprint. He handed it to Annabeth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(Percy silently wondered what had happened to the plan of getting back to Manhattan so he could call up Rachel, but at this point it probably </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>easier in Annabeth’s mind to go find a god rather than try to find their way back home through the maze. And unfortunately he had no good arguments against visiting Hephestus, other than it was a huge waste of time for reasons that would make him sound like a lunatic. Besides, they did sorta have to stop a bunch of unruly telkhines...)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hephaestus comes here from time to time,” Eurytion said. “Studies the animals and such so he can make bronze automaton copies. Last time, I – uh – did him a favour. A little trick he wanted to play on my dad, Ares, and Aphrodite. He gave me that chain in gratitude. Said if I ever needed to find him, the disc would lead me to his forges. But only once.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you’re giving it to me?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eurytion blushed. “I don’t need to see the forges, miss. Got enough to do here. Just press the button and you’ll be on your way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth pressed the button and the disc sprang to life. It grew eight metallic legs. Annabeth shrieked and dropped it, much to Eurytion’s confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Spider!” she screamed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s, um, a little scared of spiders,” Grover explained. “That old grudge between Athena and Arachne.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Eurytion looked embarrassed. “Sorry, miss.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The spider scrambled to the cattle grid and disappeared between the bars. They all realized the thing wasn’t going to wait for them, so Tyson pulled the cattle grid off the hole and they all dropped back into the Labyrinth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not five minutes in, Percy regretted not putting the damn spider on a leash, it was so fast. Already Nico had tripped on a loose stone twice and Tyson had been shoulder-checked by a wall that came out of nowhere as they chased their guide through the tunnels. If it hadn’t been for their friends with super-sensitive hearing they’d have never been able to keep up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the five of them ran down a marble tunnel, the spider dashed to the left and Percy almost fell into a dark abyss. Tyson grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him back just in time, though. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tunnel continued on ahead, but there was no floor for about thirty metres, just gaping darkness and a series of iron rungs in the ceiling. The mechanical spider was about halfway across, swinging from bar to bar by shooting out metal web fibre. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Monkey bars,” Annabeth said. “I’m great at these.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She leaped onto the first rung and started swinging her way across. She was scared of tiny spiders, but not of plummeting to her death from a set of monkey bars. Of course, he knew she wasn’t very afraid of heights but this was ridiculous. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Annabeth had already gotten to the other side and was running after the spider. Percy followed, Nico just a bit behind him and keeping up well considering. It was good that Tyson, with Grover riding piggyback, went last, as the last iron bar ripped free under his weight just after they got across. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They kept moving and passed a skeleton crumpled in the tunnel. It wore the remains of a dress shirt, trousers and a tie. The spider didn’t slow down. Something crunched under his foot as he ran and he realized it was a bunch of half-used and broken pencils. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tunnel opened up into a large room, where a blazing light hit them all in the face. Once his eyes adjusted, the first thing Percy noticed were the skeletons. Dozens littered the floor - some were old and bleached white, others were more recent and a lot grosser. They didn’t smell quite as bad as Geryon’s stables, but it was close. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then he noticed the monster, and groaned internally, already annoyed on principle. She stood on a glittery dais on the opposite side of the room, and had the body of a huge lion and the head of a woman. She would’ve been pretty, but her hair was tied back in a tight bun and she wore too much makeup, so she kind of looked like a librarian trying to impress the janitor who comes by to empty the trash bins every day. She also had a blue ribbon badge pinned to her chest that took him a moment to decipher: THIS MONSTER HAS BEEN RATED EXEMPLARY! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson whimpered. “Sphinx.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy half-remembered a story about his brother getting attacked by a Sphinx in New York when he was small. He wasn’t sure if it was the one who’d given him all the scars on his back, but that sounded right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Spotlights blazed on either side of the creature. The only exit was a tunnel right behind the dais. The mechanical spider scuttled between the Sphinx’s paws and disappeared. Annabeth started forward, but the Sphinx roared, showing fangs in her otherwise human face. Bars came down on both tunnel exits, behind them and in front. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Immediately the monster’s snarl turned into a brilliant smile. “Welcome, lucky contestants!” she announced. “Get ready to play… ANSWER THAT RIDDLE!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Canned applause blasted from the ceiling, as if there were invisible loudspeakers. Knowing how bullshit it was to try and figure out if monsters knew much about modern technology, he chose to just roll with it. Spotlights swept across the room and reflected off the dais, throwing disco glitter over the skeletons on the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fabulous prizes!” the Sphinx said. “Pass the test, and you get to advance! Fail, and I get to eat you! Who will be our contestant?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth grabbed him by the arm. “I’ve got this,” she whispered. “I know what she’s going to ask.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No you don’t, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought privately, but didn’t argue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stepped forward to the contestant’s podium, which had a skeleton in a school uniform hunched over it. She pushed the skeleton out of the way, and it clattered to the floor. “Sorry,” Annabeth told it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Welcome, Annabeth Chase!” the monster cried, though Annabeth hadn’t said her name. “Are you ready for your test?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she said. “Ask your riddle.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Twenty riddles, actually!” the Sphinx said gleefully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? But back in the old days –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, we’ve raised our standards! To pass, you must show proficiency in all twenty. Isn’t that great?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Applause switched on and off like somebody turning a faucet. Annabeth glanced back nervously. He gave her an encouraging nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she told the Sphinx. “I’m ready.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A drumroll sounded from above. The Sphinx’s eyes glittered with excitement. “What… is the capital of Bulgaria?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth frowned. “Sofia,” she said, “but –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Correct!” More canned applause. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Sphinx smiled so wide her fangs showed. “Please be sure to mark your answer clearly on your test sheet with a 2B pencil.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Annabeth looked mystified. Then a test booklet appeared on the podium in front of her, along with a sharpened pencil. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Make sure you bubble each answer clearly and stay inside the circle,” the Sphinx said. “If you have to erase, erase completely or the machine will not be able to read your answers.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What machine?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Sphinx pointed with her paw. Over by the spotlight was a bronze box with a bunch of gears and levers and a big Greek letter H, Êta, on the side, the mark of Hephaestus. Percy had to hold in a chuckle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now,” said the Sphinx, “next question –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait a second,” Annabeth protested. “What about ‘What walks on four legs in the morning?’”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I beg your pardon?” the Sphinx said, clearly annoyed now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The riddle about man. He walks on four legs in the morning, like a baby, two legs in the afternoon, like an adult, and three legs in the evening, as an old man with a cane. That’s the riddle you used to ask.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly why we changed the test!” the Sphinx exclaimed. “You already knew the answer. Now, second question, what is the square root of sixteen?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Four,” Annabeth said, “but –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Correct! Which US president signed the Emancipation Proclamation?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Abraham Lincoln, but –” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Correct! Riddle number four. How much –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hold up!” Annabeth shouted. “These aren’t riddles.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” the Sphinx snapped. “Of course they are. This test material is specially designed –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just a bunch of dumb, random facts,” Annabeth insisted. “Riddles are supposed to make you think.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Think?” The Sphinx frowned. “How am I supposed to test whether you can think? That’s ridiculous! Now, how much force is required –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop!” Annabeth insisted. “This is a stupid test.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um, Annabeth,” Grover cut in nervously. “Maybe you should just, you know, finish first and complain later?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m a child of Athena,” she insisted. “And this is an insult to my intelligence. I won’t answer these questions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy thought this was a very stupid hill to die on, but he wasn’t going to tell wise girl what should and shouldn’t be a matter of pride. That was up to each person to decide for themselves - what they would and wouldn’t stand for. Even if it might get them killed… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The spotlights glared. The Sphinx’s eyes glittered pure black. “Why then, my dear,” the monster said calmly. “If you won’t pass, you fail. And since we can’t allow any children to be held back, you’ll be EATEN!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Sphinx bared her claws, which gleamed like stainless steel. She pounced at the podium. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” Tyson charged. He tackled the Sphinx midair and they crashed sideways into a pile of bones. This gave Annabeth just enough time to gather her wits and draw her knife. Tyson got up, his shirt clawed to shreds. The Sphinx growled, looking for an opening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sighing, Percy drew Riptide and gestured to Nico for the kid to stand behind him. He had, with a bit of forethought, nabbed one of Geryon’s swords for the kid to carry before they left, but he wasn’t about to test the kid’s proficiency with an unfamiliar weapon against a Sphinx. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hat, Annabeth! You need to hide!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can fight!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No! She’s after you, let us handle this!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As if to prove his point, the Sphinx knocked Tyson aside and tried to charge past him. Grover poked her in the eye with somebody’s leg bone. She screeched in pain. Annabeth put on her cap and vanished. The Sphinx pounced right where she’d been standing, but came up with empty paws. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No fair!” the Sphinx wailed. “Cheater!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With Annabeth no longer in sight, the Sphinx turned on Percy. But before he could do anything, the rattling of bones caught his attention, and he grinned at the sight of all the corpses from the floor charging at the one who’d eaten them. Then, off to the side, Tyson ripped the monster’s grading machine out of the floor and threw it at the monster’s head, ruining her hair bun. It landed in pieces all around her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My grading machine!” she cried. “I can’t be exemplary without my test scores!</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bars lifted from the exits. They all dashed for the far tunnel, and hopefully Annabeth was doing the same. The Sphinx started to follow, but a bunch of skeletons, lacking weapons, chose to wrap around her legs, severely impeding her movement. They had just enough time to make it through the doors before they closed, and a bunch of femurs and skulls were sent flying at the door as the Sphinx tore the undead army to shreds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Annabeth!” he called, just to be sure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here!” she said, from his right. “Keep moving!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They ran through the dark tunnels, listening to the roar of the Sphinx behind them as she complained about all the tests she would have to grade by hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They would’ve lost the spider, if not for Tyson hearing the faint pinging noise of his banging it’s tiny head on a metal door a few turns from where they’d been running. The door looked like an old-fashioned submarine hatch: oval, with metal rivets around the edges and a wheel for a doorknob. Where the portal should’ve been was a big brass plaque, green with age, with a Greek Ȇta inscribed in the middle. They all shared a look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ready to meet Hephaestus?” Grover said nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Tyson said gleefully, and he turned the wheel. As soon as the door opened, the spider scuttled inside with Tyson right behind it. The rest of them followed, not quite as excited. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room was an enormous mechanic’s garage, with several hydraulic lifts. Some had cars on them, but others had more magical things: a bronze hippalectryon with its horse head off and a bunch of wires hanging out its rooster tail, a metal lion that seemed to be hooked up to a battery charger, and a Greek war chariot made entirely of flames. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Smaller projects cluttered a dozen worktables. Tools hung along the walls - each had its own outline on a Peg-Board, but nothing seemed to be in the right place. The hammer was over the screwdriver place, the staple gun was where the hacksaw was supposed to go, etcetera. A perfect symbol of the way he might expect Leo to organize his workspace. Well, actually, that was an insult to Leo - the guy </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> have an organizational system, and had explained it at length once, but Percy just didn’t understand any of it because it wasn’t by size or color or even alphabetical order. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Under the nearest hydraulic lift, which was holding a ’98 Toyota Corolla, a pair of legs stuck out—the lower half of a huge man in grubby gray pants and shoes even bigger than Tyson’s. One leg was in a metal brace. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The spider scuttled straight under the car, and the sounds of banging stopped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, well,” a deep voice boomed from under the Corolla. “What have we here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mechanic pushed out on a back trolley and sat up. Percy had seen Hephaestus before, and knew that he didn’t really care about appearances while he was working. So he looked pretty much… well, like a guy who’d been hucked off Olympus as a baby. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wore a jumpsuit smeared with oil and grime, that had the name Hephaestus embroidered over the chest pocket. His leg creaked and clicked in its metal brace as he stood, and his left shoulder was lower than his right, so he seemed to be leaning even when he was standing up straight. His head was misshapen and bulging. Face in a permanent scowl, his black beard smoked and hissed. Every once in a while a small wildfire would erupt in his whiskers then die out. His hands were the size of catcher’s mitts, but he handled the spider with amazing skill, a lot like how Tyson worked. He disassembled it in two seconds, then put it back together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There,” he muttered to himself. “Much better.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The spider did a happy flip in his palm, shot a metallic web at the ceiling, and went swinging away. Hephaestus glowered up at them. “I didn’t make you, did I?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Annabeth said, “no, sir.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good,” the god grumbled. “Shoddy workmanship.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He studied Annabeth, Percy, and Nico each in turn, seeming to skip over their other friends. “Half-bloods,” he grunted. “Could be automatons, of course, but probably not.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ve met, sir,” Percy said, dead-pan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have we?” the god asked absently. He didn’t look Percy in the eyes once, but was hyper-focused on his arm. It made something uncomfortable wringle in his gut.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well then, if I didn’t smash you to a pulp the first time we met, I suppose I won’t have to do it now.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked at Grover and frowned. “Satyr.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then he looked at Tyson, and his eyes twinkled. “Well, a Cyclops. Good, good. What are you doing traveling with this lot?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh…” Tyson mumbled, staring in wonder at the god. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, well said,” Hephaestus agreed. “So, there’d better be a good reason you’re disturbing me. The suspension on this Corolla is no small matter, you know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sir,” Annabeth said hesitantly, “we’re looking for Daedalus. We thought—” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daedalus?” the god roared. “You want that old scoundrel? You dare to seek him out!” His beard burst into flames and his black eyes glowed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, yes, sir, please,” She said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Humph. You’re wasting your time.” He frowned at something on his work table and limped over to it. He picked up a lump of springs and metal plates and tinkered with them. In a few seconds he was holding a bronze and silver falcon. It spread its metal wings, blinked its obsidian eyes, and flew around the room. Tyson laughed and clapped his hands. The bird landed on Tyson’s shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately. Hephaestus regarded him. The god’s scowl didn’t change, but there was something fonder in his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I sense you have something to tell me, Cyclops.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson’s smile faded. “Y-yes, lord. We met a Hundred-Handed One.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus nodded, looking unsurprised. “Briares?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. He—he was scared. He would not help us.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And that bothered you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Tyson’s voice wavered. “Briares should be strong! He is older and greater than the Cyclops. But he ran away.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus grunted. “There was a time I admired the Hundred-Handed Ones. Back in the days of the first war. But people, monsters, even gods change, young Cyclops. You can’t trust ’em. Look at my loving mother, Hera. You met her, didn’t you? She’ll smile to your face and talk about how important family is, eh? Didn’t stop her from pitching me off Mount Olympus when she saw my ugly face.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But isn’t Zeus the one that did that?” Nico asked, frowning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus cleared his throat and spat into a bronze spittoon. He snapped his fingers, and the robotic falcon flew back to the worktable. “Mother likes telling that version of the story,” he grumbled. “Makes her seem more likeable, doesn’t it? Blaming it all on my dad. The truth is, my mother likes families, but she likes a certain kind of family. Perfect families. She took one look at me and…well, I don’t fit the image, do I?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled a feather from the falcon’s back, and the whole automaton fell apart. “Believe me, young Cyclops,” Hephaestus said, “you can’t trust others. All you can trust is the work of your own hands.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy wasn’t sure that was true. Honestly, he’d gotten over most of his gripes with Hephaestus - he’d had to get past most of his gripes with </span>
  <em>
    <span>every god - </span>
  </em>
  <span>because there wasn’t shit he could do about it and pent-up anger made him a bad person. But he would never forgive that it was one of this particular god’s failed inventions that had cost them Bianca once upon a time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The god zeroed in on Percy, seeming to read his thoughts. Or maybe he was just that obvious. “Oh, this one doesn’t like me,” he mused. “No worries, I’m used to that. What would you ask of me, little demigod?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We told you,” he said, rolling his eyes internally. “We need to find Daedalus. Without his help, Camp Half-Blood will be invaded, and-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I told you, boy. Looking for Daedalus is a waste of time. He won’t help you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And how are you so sure?” The guy wasn’t a great ally or anything, but it wasn’t like Percy would be able to find the guy without help. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus shrugged. “Some of us get thrown off mountainsides. Some of us…the way we learn not to trust people is more painful. Ask me for gold. Or a flaming sword. Or a magical steed. These I can grant you easily. But a way to Daedalus? That’s an expensive favor.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know where he is, then,” Annabeth pressed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It isn’t wise to go looking, girl.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My mother says looking is the nature of wisdom.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus narrowed his eyes. “Who’s your mother, then?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Athena.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Figures.” He sighed. “Fine goddess, Athena. A shame she pledged never to marry. All right, half-blood. I can tell you what you want to know. But there is a price. I need a favor done.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Name it,” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus actually laughed - a booming sound like a huge bellows stoking a fire. Percy was more inclined to frown at Annabeth. No one should make that kind of open-ended promise to a god, or anyone with half a mind to try and take advantage of the situation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You heroes,” he said, “always making rash promises. How refreshing!” He pressed a button on his workbench, and metal shutters opened along the wall. It was a huge window, or maybe a screen. They were looking at a gray mountain ringed in forests - a volcano. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One of my forges,” Hephaestus said. “I have many, but that used to be my favorite.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s Mount St. Helens,” Grover said. “Great forests around there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Annabeth said, looking at Hephaestus. “You said it used to be your favorite. What happened?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus scratched his smoldering beard. “Well, that’s where the monster Typhon is trapped, you know. Used to be under Mount Etna, but when we moved to America, his force got pinned under Mount St. Helens instead. Great source of fire, but a bit dangerous. There’s always a chance he will escape. Lots of eruptions these days, smoldering all the time. He’s restless with the Titan rebellion.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what do you want? Get to the point,” Percy said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus snorted. “Lately I have sensed intruders in my mountain. Someone or something is using my forges. When I go there, it is empty, but I can tell it is being used. They sense me coming, and they disappear. I send my automatons to investigate, but they do not return. Something…ancient is there. Evil. I want to know who dares invade my territory, and if they mean to loose Typhon.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You want us to find out who it is,” he confirmed, “not fight them or anything. Just investigate.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aye,” Hephaestus said. “Go there. They may not sense you coming. You are not gods. Find out what you can, and report back to me, and I will tell you what you need to know about Daedalus.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All right,” Annabeth said. “How do we get there?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus clapped his hands. The spider came swinging down from the rafters. Annabeth flinched when it landed at her feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My creation will show you the way,” Hephaestus said. “It is not far through the Labyrinth. And try to stay alive, will you? Humans are much more fragile than automatons.” </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Things were okay until they came upon a knarl of tree-roots. The spider raced along and they kept up, but then there was a side tunnel that was dug from raw earth, and wrapped in thick roots. Grover stopped dead in his tracks. Percy did, too, sighing quietly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The satyr stared open-mouthed into the dark tunnel. His curly hair rustled in the breeze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on!” Annabeth said. “We have to keep moving.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is the way,” Grover muttered in awe. “This is it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But the spider’s going that way,” Nico said, pointing unnecessarily in the direction the spider was scurrying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover looked at Tyson. “Don’t you smell it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dirt,” Tyson said. “And plants.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes! This is the way. I’m sure of it!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Up ahead, the spider was getting farther down the stone corridor. A few more seconds and they’d lose it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well come back,” Annabeth promised. “On our way back to Hephaestus.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The tunnel will be gone by then,” Grover said. “I have to follow it. A door like this won’t stay open!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But we can’t,” Annabeth said. “The forges!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover looked at her sadly. “I have to, Annabeth. Don’t you understand?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked desperate, like she didn’t understand at all. The spider was almost out of sight. But there was only one thing they could do, now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have to split up,” Percy said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” Annabeth shouted. “That’s way too dangerous. How will we ever find each other again? And Grover can’t go alone.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson put his hand on Grover’s shoulder. “I—I will go with him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You sure big guy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded. “Goat boy needs help. We will find the god person. I am not like Hephaestus. I trust friends.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover took a deep breath. “Percy, we’ll find each other again. We’ve still got the empathy link. I just…have to.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I understand. Good luck.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His friend nodded back, serious. Then Percy turned to his brother, and Tyson gulped back a sob and gave him a hug that just about squeezed his very soul out of his body. Then the two of them disappeared through the tunnel of tree roots and were lost in the darkness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is bad,” Annabeth said. “Splitting up is a really, really bad idea.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll see them again,” Percy said, already on the move. “And look on the bright side, Chiron would be proud. We’re down to three.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t long before the tunnel started to get hot. The stone walls glowed, as the air became thick with heat, like a blast from a fully pre-heated oven. The tunnel sloped down, and there was a distant roar - something that reminded Percy of a typhoon, but was distinctly not water. The spider skittered along, with Annabeth right behind and Nico determinedly keeping up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they moved, it wasn’t really a comfortable air for conversation, so they all stewed in their thoughts. Percy thought that maybe he should say something to cheer them up, but he was a lot more focused on not swearing every time his now blazing-hot left arm bumped into his side as he jogged to keep up with his friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The roaring got louder. After another half mile or so, they emerged into a huge cavern. Their little spider escort stopped and curled into a ball, seeming content to sleep after a job well done. They had arrived at the forge of Hephaestus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no floor, just bubbling lava hundreds of feet below. The three of them stood on a rock ridge that circled the cavern. A network of metal bridges spanned across it, and at the center was a huge platform with all sorts of machines, cauldrons, forges, and an anvil easily the size of a house. Creatures moved around the platform - several strange, dark shapes. Ones that, as far as Percy was concerned, could stay a comfortable distance away until the end of time, but he already saw Annabeth pulling out her invisibility cap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You two stay here, I can sneak up on them,” she said, as she scooped up the metal spider from the ground and fixed the cap over her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico took a step forward, presumably to follow her, (or go whichever direction he thought she was going,) but Percy grabbed him by the shoulder and made a shushing gesture. The best chance they could give Annabeth was to be silent and stay out of sight so they wouldn’t compromise her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So they sat there, for all of three minutes before Nico started tapping his foot and looking impatient, and Percy was about reaching the limit of his ability to stand still and shut up, too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stupid ADHD, giving me horrible ideas, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought, rolling his eyes and moving forward, motioning for Nico to follow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They crept along the outer rim of the lava lake, really just looking for a better angle to spy from. There was no way he was rushing in, but if they could at least see what was going on, it’d give everyone a bit more peace of mind. In just moments both of them were soaked through with sweat, and Percy had a bad feeling about the previously unbearable burning sensation around his left elbow seeming to fade into a tolerable numbness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The only thing that halted them a few minutes later was a minecart, the kind in old mine shafts. Before he could say anything about not being an idiot, Nico was lifting a corner of the tarp draped over the top, revealing that the cart was full of scrap metal. He was just about to start squeezing past the thing when voices ahead had him pulling Nico down with him to crouch behind the cart. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bring it in?” one asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” another said. “Movie’s just about done.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the voices weren’t just passing by, they were coming closer, and there weren't exactly a whole lot of places to hide. But he was the only one armed right now, so - well, yeah, maybe he shoved an eleven-year-old into a minecart before pulling the tarp back down. But there wasn’t much time to be sorry about that before he was flattening himself against the wall a few meters back, behind a small, maybe ten-inch divot that would really only hide him if no one looked in his direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Moments later, the sound of wheels creaking filled the air, and a gruff voice said: “Oi, this thing weighs a ton.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s celestial bronze,” the other said. “What did you expect?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cart, presumably, got pulled along for a few meters before Percy dared to peak over and quietly follow. The two voices had been exactly what he was expecting, but it didn’t really feel like a victory to be right. Telkhines, presumably adults. Just two might not be a huge deal to fight off by himself, but the option was quickly taken away from him as the cart went around a corner and into a closed room. </span>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sidled up to the door, trying to listen in - but there was just growling and vaguely-human voices. If he had to guess he’d say maybe twenty to thirty monsters inside, though if memory served more than half were children. But more than a dozen monsters of any age were typically enough to bowl him over if they were coordinated enough, so for the moment he sat back and listened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe a minute or two later, the indistinct voices quieted down as once took precedence. A speaker, or maybe a documentary. There was some muffled narration that sounded a bit like those dumb videos he’d had to listen to in middleschool around a group of dumb 13-year-old boys making innapropriate jokes. But this was the monster equivalent, so it was less about the reproductive system and more about growing fangs and the desire to eat humans. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Excited snarling filled the room. The teacher - or at least whoever was the loudest and presumably in charge - barked something to the effect of ‘shut up, all of you,’ and the film continued. The voice continued on about all sorts of things from growth spurts to proper flipper hygiene, until it ended and the teacher's voice started speaking again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was some Q&amp;A, and most of it Percy ignored - save for the last bit. Really, there was no reason to care, but when the instructor spoke it just grabbed his attention. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“-After we made so many of the gods’ finest weapons. The trident of Poseidon, for one. And of course—we made the greatest weapon of the Titans! Nevertheless, Zeus cast us away and relied on those fumbling Cyclopes. That is why we are taking over the forges of the usurper Hephaestus. And soon we will control the undersea furnaces, our ancestral home!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He clutched Riptide tightly, still in pen form. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The finest weapons</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Really, he’d known for years that the gods had always made it a habit of pissing off the exact people they shouldn’t. It just always unsettled him when he thought about things might’ve been different, if his dad and uncles and aunts had just handled things better and worked through their problems better than just banishing and imprisoning everyone who did wrong. Then again... the words ‘reform,’ and ‘improvement’, weren’t really in the gods’ repertoire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And so, younglings,” the instructor continued, “who do we serve?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kronos!” they shouted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And when you grow to be big telkhines, will you make weapons for the army?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excellent. Now, we’ve brought in some scraps for you to practice with. Let’s see how ingenious you are.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking his head from depressing thoughts, Percy burst through the doors, Riptide drawn. Just in time to see half a dozen little dog-people ripping the tarp from the cart, revealing Nico - holding a longer, thin piece of metal like a baseball bat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their bodies were sleek and black like sea mammals, with stubby legs that were half flipper, half foot, and humanlike hands with sharp claws. It was like if you blended together a kid, a Doberman pinscher, and a sea lion, with no regard for the consequences. In the brief moments of shock, Percy ran forward and yanked his friend out of the cart, so they were standing together with their backs to the door.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Demigods!” one telekhine snarled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eat ‘em!” yelled another. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But they didn’t within more than a few paces before Percy slashed a wide ark with his sword, vaporizing the first four or five. Nico jumped in too, smacking a particularly eager one in the snout with his improvised weapon, making it stumble back. Behind the remaining children stood their instructor - a six-foot-tall telekhine with Doberman fangs snarling in anger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a shout, Nico threw the piece of bronze at the crowd, knocking two unfortunate kids flat on their backs, before Percy grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back towards the door. They only paused briefly to lock the main entrance to the volcano behind them before booking it to the platform in the center of the lake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was time to find Annabeth and leave. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy barely had to call her name before an invisible hand was clamped over his mouth, pulling him back behind a large bronze cauldron. Presumably she grabbed Nico too, because the way the kid’s arm stretched into the air behind him wasn't how most people chose to move. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>trying </span>
  </em>
  <span>to get us killed, seaweed brain?” She stage-whispered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reaching for where he was pretty sure was her head, he pulled off her Yankees cap to see her. She shimmered into existence just like that, ash and grime streaked across her face and clothes. Before he could start explaining, though, it seemed that Nico thought it necessary to defend him by explaining everything that had happened. It was surprisingly concise and well-put. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth looked like she’d just put a huge puzzle together.  “So that’s what they are,” she said. “Telkhines. I should’ve known. And they’re making…Well, look.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They peeked over the cauldron, and in the very center of the platform stood four adult sea demons - all at least eight feet tall, black skin glistening in the firelight as they worked, sparks flying as they took turns hammering on a long piece of glowing hot metal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The blade is almost complete,” one said. “It needs another cooling in blood to fuse the metals.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aye,” a second agreed. “It shall be even sharper than before.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is that?” Nico whispered, eyes still focused on the monsters and their tools.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth shook her head. “They keep talking about fusing metals. I wonder—” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They were talking about the greatest Titan weapon,” he said. “And they made my dad’s Trident I’m pretty sure, so that might not be an exaggeration…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The telkhines betrayed the gods,” Annabeth said. “They were practicing dark magic. I don’t know what, exactly, but Zeus banished them to Tartarus.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“With Kronos, the exact kind of guy who’d capitalize on their anger.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “We have to get-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No sooner had she opened her mouth, the door to the classroom exploded and young telkhines came pouring out. They stumbled over each other, trying to figure out which way to charge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed. “No time for all of us to run. Someone has to report back to Hephaestus - maybe take the spider and try to follow it back to him. One stays to cover the others’ retreat.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Annabeth demanded, looking indignant when she saw the look on his face. “No. We’re not leaving anyone behind, we’ve already split the group once!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we should all stay and fight, or all leave together!” Nico re-affirmed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Dammit, dammit, fuck-</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seriously running out of options, Percy stood up and brushed his hair back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, we can’t always have what we want, alright! So at least one of you better get running now, or we’re all going to die horribly, got it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a steely determination in his eyes, Nico nodded and stood up with him, turning back towards the incoming telkhines. “Annabeth has her invisibility hat. She can go, I’m going to fight.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looking absolutely exasperated, (and a little defeated,) Annabeth stood up and glared at both of them for a moment. Then, with a sigh, she kissed him quickly and ruffled Nico’s hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Be safe,” she said as she put on her cap, vanishing and presumably running towards the exit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Really, he could’ve spent all day grinning at the floor like an idiot after that, but the murderous sea demon’s shouting brought him back to reality. As the entire class of telkhines charged across the bridge toward them, Percy drew Riptide and passed it to Nico - figuring worst come, </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>at least knew how to disarm an enemy barehanded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They ran for the center of the platform, shocking the four older sea demons enough to startle them into dropping the red-hot sword. It was about six feet long and curved like a crescent moon - and while he didn’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly </span>
  </em>
  <span>the logistics of how deadly that could be in battle, he certainly didn’t like anything that looked like it could cleave a person in two with one swing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The elder demons got over their surprise quickly. There were four ramps leading off the platform, and before they could get any further, each one had covered an exit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tallest one snarled. “What do we have here? Half-bloods?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can smell the sea in his blood,” another one snarled, looking directly at Percy. He supposed he should be thankful they didn’t smell death and the Underworld on Nico. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Strike down one of us, demigod,” the third demon said, “and the rest of us shall tear you to shreds. Your father betrayed us. He took our gift and said nothing as we were cast into the pit. We will see him sliced to pieces. He and all the other Olympians.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t worth a whole lot since there weren’t any sharp ends, but he raised his left arm slightly in front of his right, intending to go with a hit from the left first. One, because it was generally less expected, and two, because it would hurt a lot less to hit something decidedly more solid than him with his less fleshy hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The young telkhines were at the platform now, too, snarling and waiting to see how their four elders would deal with things. Something burned against his leg - the whistle. But it wasn’t time yet, not right now. As helpful as a huge hellhound would be at the moment, he’d need Mrs O’leary more later on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Apparently choosing to take the initiative, the tallest telekhine said, “Let us see how strong they are. Let’s see how long it takes them to melt!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The monster scooped some lava out of the nearest furnace. It set his fingers ablaze, but this didn’t seem to bother him at all. The other elder telkhines did the same. The first one threw a glop of molten rock straight at Nico. Percy didn’t think, he just yanked the kid into his arms and turned, taking the hit and two more to his back, and the back of his legs. It was just warm at first, but quickly grew hotter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your father’s nature protects you,” one said. “Makes you hard to burn. But not impossible, youngling. Not impossible.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They threw more lava, and he remembered screaming. Him or Nico or someone else entirely was screaming. It hurt, it hurt so much but he could bear it like he’d bore every other pain in his life. This wasn’t even the worst he’d ever felt on a sliding scale, though it was very close. He crumpled to the floor, taking his friend to the floor under him. He was just big enough that he could shield Nico for the moment, but soon enough things were going to get messy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were as far away from water as one could get, but that didn’t matter much to a son of the Sea God himself. He reached deep down into his gut, looking for the feeling of the ocean - cold waves, ocean breeze, seashells, </span>
  <em>
    <span>dad- </span>
  </em>
  <span>The pull in his chest grew stronger, straining against his ribs like it was trying to turn him inside out, but what was one more drop of agony when he was already swimming in an ocean of it? He may be unfamiliar with drowning but he could be consumed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Distantly, he thought to pray for the safety of his friend. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Use me if you have to but please shield him from what I’m about to do, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>An explosion, a tidal wave, a whirlwind - whatever you want to call it, erupting from him and outward. It swept him up, (and maybe Nico too, because it still felt like he was holding onto something, something solid and... dusty?) blasting them down and into the lava. Fire and water collided, superheated steam, and the sensation of flying. That was all he knew for several moments. The absolute last thing he remembered coherently was the flying - flying so high that he was sure Zeus would strike them down any moment - they were the last demigods in the world who belonged in the sky. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please don’t kill us Uncle, I don’t think Poesidon and Uncle Hades would be very happy with you if you did.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>At least he found out why he felt all dirty when they landed. As he willed himself into semi-consciousness, he immediately rolled onto his side to heave and saw Nico carefully extracting himself from what looked like a cacoon of dirt and rocks. Geokinesis. So unfair, considering </span>
  <em>
    <span>he’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>the one with a dad who controls earthquakes, and he can barely make the earth part to give way to groundwater.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well his friend looked pretty much unharmed anyway, which was good. But Percy himself felt like absolute shit, and when his body finally let him cough up what little it had to throw away, it was tinged with red. But if that was internal bleeding or just his mouth, he couldn’t tell. His entire body felt sore and burnt, which is to say most of his nerve endings were charred so he didn’t feel all that much in the end. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Deciding he deserved a nice long nap right about now, he rolled onto his back again and let darkness take him. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>His sleep was intermittently disturped by the sound of speaking, and the feeling of something warm and liquid being gently dribbled into his mouth. The taste of chocolate-chip cookies. Nectar. There also seemed to be a sort of rhythmic humming from time to time, like music he couldn’t make out the words to. It was a pretty pleasant nap overall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next time he woke up, he felt a lot more clear-headed, and actually thought to take in his surroundings a bit. He wasn’t on the beach anymore, but a cave - a fairly nice cave though, and one that he really wished he </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>remember. The ceiling glittered with different colored crystal formations, not unlike the inside of a gift-shop geode. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was lying on a comfortable bed with feather pillows and white cotton sheets. The cave was divided into sections by white silk curtains rather than walls, and against one wall stood a large loom and a harp. Against the other wall were shelves neatly stacked with jars of fruit preserves. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling: rosemary, mint, thyme, sage, and basil from what he could see, and there were definately a lot more he couldn’t really differentiate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a fireplace built into the cave wall as well, with a pot bubbling over the flames. It smelled like beef stew. Sitting up, Percy assessed the damage. His right arm was pinker than usual but otherwise just felt like a mostly-healed burn; and his left was intact, but with a nasty ring of burnt scar-tissue where metal met skin. When he tested it, though, it barely moved and was pretty much dead weight for all that it looked fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, shit. Guess I should've expected as much, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he groused silently. The insides were mostly plastics and aluminum to keep the weight manageable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At least he was fairly clean, and wearing new clothes - clad in a white cotton T-shirt and drawstring trousers that definitely weren’t his, and his feet were bare. He wasn’t so concerned as to who changed him, since there were only two people who could’ve and it was already over and done with. Riptide had been returned to his pocket it seemed, and the whistle too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pushing himself out of bed, Percy groaned at the much more noticeable pain in his back, now. That’s what getting covered in lava does to a person… or, half person, half god, because that would’ve killed any normal person. Hell, it would’ve killed pretty much every other half-blood too, except for children of Hephaestus with a particular affinity for fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The floor was freezing under his feet, but he quickly forgot about that when he turned and found himself staring into a bronze mirror. He did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>look great, long story short. His hair was stuck up in every which way, and singed at the edges, and he’d probably lost about ten or twelve pounds. He knew from experience it’d be a bitch to get that back with the kind of metabolism he had at this age, unfortunately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Turning away from the mirror, he followed the daylight fooding into the cave from his left. The cave opened onto a green meadow - to the left was a grove of cedar trees and on the right a huge flower garden. Four fountains gurgled in the meadow, each shooting water from the pipes of stone satyrs. Straight ahead, the grass sloped down to a rocky beach. The waves of a lake lapped against the stones - freshwater wasn’t as nice to wake up to as seawater, but he’d take it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sun sparkled on the water, and the sky was pure blue. It seemed like a paradise, which set him on edge just on instinct. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Calypso was standing at the beach, talking to someone, with Nico just a few paces behind her looking a bit awkward. He couldn’t clearly see who she was arguing with - because they were for sure arguing - but decided it wasn’t as important as letting Nico know he was actually alive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not wanting to interrupt Calypso, he reached out to the lake and brought a small wave just far enough to splash against his friend’s foot. At first he looked out to the lake, then turned back towards Percy and grinned, immediately running over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re up!” Nico said, crushing him in a hug before realizing that maybe wasn’t a great idea when Percy hissed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, just… gently, please,” he chuckled, returning the embrace for a minute. His voice sounded like a particularly sick frog thought it’d be a neat idea to swallow fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Back on the beach, Calypso seemed to finish up her conversation and came over to them. She wore a white sleeveless Greek dress with a low circular neckline trimmed in gold. She brushed at her eyes like she’d just been crying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” she said, trying for a smile, “the sleeper finally awakes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So who were you talking to over there?” he asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh… just a messenger,” she said. “How do you feel?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, I guess. How long have I been out?” he asked, turning to Nico. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kid’s brows furrowed and he seemed to contemplate the answer before saying, “I can’t tell. I think at least a day, but…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Time,” Calypso mused. “Time is always difficult here. I honestly could not tell you, Percy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know my name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your friend told me. He also spoke of how you came to be here, it was quite a fascinating tale.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Calypso reached up and ran her fingers through his mangled hair. He carefully allowed it, but he must’ve made a face because she quickly took her hand back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ve just grown used to caring for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” he muttered, looking back to the water. Ogygia was a nice island, but he was quickly getting more and more ready to leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She says this place isn’t near anywhere, it just… exists. How’re we going to get back to everyone, Percy?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, this is an island, so there’s got to be ocean around. I can just-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait!” Calypso interrupted, placing her hand on his face again to turn his attention back to her. “You’re still injured. Rest here for a while first. You are no good to your friends until you heal.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The water will heal me better than rest, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought privately, but didn’t have the heart to say it. She was just lonely, and it wasn’t her fault she didn’t have anyone to talk to here. He just had to find solace in the fact that, hate him or not, leaving her on this island meant she’d find Leo someday - a guy a lot better for her than himself, and who’d actually be interested. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>very tired, and could feel his eyes closing already. So he let her lead him back to the cave, with Nico trying to support him from the other side but he wasn’t really tall enough. When he fell back onto the bed, he was asleep in moments.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The next time he awoke it was night, but there was no way to tell if it was the following night or many nights later. Groggily pushing himself out of bed, he noticed Nico passed out beside him, hogging the blankets like a little gremlin - and tried to be slow and quiet so as not to wake him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The stars were brilliant outside. Thousands of them, the kind you’d never see unless you were in Alaska or something. He searched for what constellations he could as he walked towards the beach of the lake, sadly noting the Huntress just above the horizon to the west. As he stepped into the surf, he instantly felt better.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy, what do you see?” Came a voice from behind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Slowly, he brought his eyes back to earth, whispering a soft prayer to Zoe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just an old friend,” he said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Calypso was holding a tiny plant in her hands, its flowers were silver and delicate. She seemed to glow in the moonlight, a bit like how the hunters of Artemis would. She smiled gently at him, looking over the water until she found Zoe as well, silently admiring the stars for a moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, as long as you’re up,” she said, “you can help me plant these.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She handed him a plant, which had a clump of earth and roots at the base. The flowers glowed as he held them. Calypso picked up her gardening spade and directed Percy to the edge of the garden, where she began to dig. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s moonlace,” Calypso explained. “It can only be planted at night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Interesting,” he commented, appreciating the softly glowing leaves. It was very pretty, though he knew it wasn’t a particularly helpful plant. No medicinal uses or flavor to add in cooking, it just gave beauty. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took the plant from him, her fingers brushing over his as she did. She planted the moonlace and stepped back, surveying her work. “I love my garden.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can tell you’ve put a lot of work into it,” he nodded, surveying the many colors of roses, lattices filled with honeysuckle, and rows of grapevines bursting with red and purple grapes that would’ve made Dionysus sit up and beg. “Back home my mom always wanted a garden.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why did she not plant one?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, we live in Manhattan. In an apartment.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Manhattan? Apartment?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right, imprisoned on an island with nothing </span>
  <em>
    <span>but </span>
  </em>
  <span>gardening space for so long… she’d have no idea what he meant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Manhattan’s a city. And apartments are like… very small houses really close together, without gardens or yards. Not a whole lot of space to plant anything unless you have a plant box in your windows.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Calypso frowned. “That is sad. Hermes visits from time to time. He tells me the world outside has changed greatly. I did not realize it had changed so much you cannot have gardens.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not so bad. There’s lots of people and tall buildings…” Even he thought it was a weak argument. Humans pollute everything they touch, not just the water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Calypso studied him for a long time. Her eyes were sad. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” he asked carefully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are – are you healed yet, my brave one? Do you think you’ll be ready to leave soon?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He moved his legs a bit, testing his weight. Already he was getting tired, but that wouldn’t be a huge problem once they got out into the water. It’d be easy enough - travel underwater for a few miles until they were in the open ocean, then call a couple Hippocampi to bring them to land… he could leave right now, if he wanted to go wake Nico up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. If you want us to go…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-” Her voice broke. “I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well.” She ran off down the beach. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t much to be done. Nico was anxious to leave as well, and after he’d spent a few hours sipping nectar and resting in the meadow, he couldn’t think of any reason to say no. They had to get back to their friends, to Annabeth and Grover and Tyson. But then there was Calypso… she’d just looked so sad. It hurt, even if he knew she wouldn't be alone forever, there was a tiny part of him who thought that maybe this was one of the things he was meant to fix. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Besides, as cruel as it sounded in his own head, she wasn’t his to save. This was another hero’s quest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stuck around until dinner, invisible servants had set up a table with beef stew and apple cider on the beach. It wouldn’t be a very exciting meal normally, but the food was absolutely delicious. Percy was commenting a little about New York and their adventure so far, Nico pitching in during the particularly exciting parts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe it was a horrible idea, but he thought it might be nice to let Calypso hear a little of what the outside world was like, so she’d know what to expect when she finally got to see it. She laughed a bit and smiled, but it was always quickly fixed back into that sad look. Trying not to enjoy herself, knowing it won’t last. He wanted to give her hope, but he couldn’t bear to make a promise he’d never be able to keep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Things got quiet eventually, though it wasn’t entirely uncomfortable. Then, a rumbling sound came from out on the lake, a glow appearing on the horizon. It got brighter and brighter, until they could see a column of fire moving across the surface of the water, coming towards them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is that?” Nico asked, standing warily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Calypso sighed. “A visitor.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the column of fire reached the beach, Calypso stood and bowed to it formally. The flames dissipated, and standing before them was a tall man in grey overalls and a metal leg brace, his beard and hair smouldering with fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lord Hephaestus,” Calypso said. “This is a rare honour.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fire god grunted. “Calypso. Beautiful as always. Would you excuse us, please, my dear? I need to have a word with our young adventurers here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus sat down clumsily at the dinner table and ordered a Pepsi. The invisible servant brought him one, opened it too suddenly and sprayed soda all over the god’s work clothes. Hephaestus roared and spat a few curses and swatted the can away. “Stupid servants,” he muttered. “Good automatons are what she needs. They never act up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hephaestus,” Percy said, “what’s going on? Is Annabeth-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s fine,” he said. “Resourceful girl, that one. Found her way back, told me the whole story. She’s worried sick, you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You haven’t told her we’re alright, then?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not for me to say,” Hephaestus said. “Everyone thinks you’re dead. I had to be sure you were coming back before I started telling everyone where you were.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you talking about?” Nico demanded. “Of course we’re going back!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus studied the kid sceptically. He fished something out of his pocket - a metal disc the size of an iPod. He clicked a button and it expanded into a miniature bronze TV. On the screen was news footage of Mount St Helens, a huge plume of fire and ash trailing into the sky. “Still uncertain about further eruptions,” the newscaster was saying, “authorities have ordered the evacuation of almost half a million people as a precaution. Meanwhile, ash has fallen as far away as Lake Tahoe and Vancouver, and the entire Mount St Helens area is closed to traffic within a hundred-mile radius. While no deaths have been reported, minor injuries and illnesses include-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus switched it off. “You caused quite an explosion.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy stared at the screen. Half a million evacuated. None dead yet, but there was a chance they’d just not recovered the bodies yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That wasn’t-” Nico started to say, but Hepheastus interrupted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The telkhines were scattered,” the god said. “Some vaporized. Some got away, no doubt. I don’t think they’ll be using my forge any time soon. On the other hand, neither will I. The explosion caused Typhon to stir in his sleep. We’ll have to wait and see-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t,” he said, firmly but barely above a whisper. He was mostly assuring himself, he knew, because the idea of making the</span>
  <em>
    <span> exact same fucking mistake twice in a row </span>
  </em>
  <span>would be absolutely moronic of him. Right? There was no way he was that dumb, that </span>
  <em>
    <span>absolutely useless. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He’d just wanted to escape and stop the burning -</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about Grover and Tyson?” he finally asked, to distract himself.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus shook his head. “No word, I’m afraid. I suppose the Labyrinth has them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what do you suggest?” Hephaestus winced. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t ever ask an old cripple for advice, lad. But I’ll tell you this. You’ve met my wife?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aphrodite,” he nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s her. She’s a tricky one, lad. Be careful of love. It’ll twist your brain around and leave you thinking up is down and right is wrong.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thought about the first time he’d ever bet Aphrodite, in that white Cadillac. It wasn’t like he was in love with Calypso, that wasn’t why he was sticking around - but he knew that’s what it’d look like. His heart belonged to Annabeth, even if she didn’t know everything they’d gone through together, even if she might never know. That he chose her twice, that he quite literally went back to his little twelve-year-old self and had the chance to change things, and still technically does, but he was choosing her again. Because she’s the one for him - plain and simple. No matter what pain and anger and frustration they’d end up going through, there was no one else he could even consider loving as much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, she likes playing </span>
  <em>
    <span>games </span>
  </em>
  <span>with love.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Indeed. But, if you decide to leave this place – and I don’t say what’s right or wrong – then I promised you an answer to your quest. I promised you the way to Daedalus. Well now, here’s the thing. It has nothing to do with Ariadne’s string. Not really. Sure, the string works. That’s what the Titans’ army will be after. But the best way through the maze… Theseus had the princess’s help. And the princess was a regular mortal. Not a drop of god blood in her. But she was clever, and she could see, lad. She could see very clearly. So what I’m saying – I think you know how to navigate the maze.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I know.” If he’d just- just taken Rachel with him, that day. If he’d dragged her to that taxi, to camp, and down into that maze with them regardless of the danger, none of this would’ve happened. There would be no adventure, they’d just run through the maze in a couple of hours, talk to Daedalus (if the bastard was even there,) and then go home and be done with it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But there were too many unknowns, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought. Right? He was just trying to follow the script he knew, make a few quick revisions on the way instead of rewriting the whole play. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No one would have believed me. I’m doing what I have to. I’m making things better. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lies, lies lies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then you’ll need to decide whether or not you’re leaving.” And before he could respond, the god continued. “Don’t decide yet,” he cautioned. “Wait until daybreak. Daybreak is a good time for decisions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Nico finally settled back down in his seat. Percy didn’t think they’d be resuming dinner, but it would be better for them to relax while they still could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hephaestus stood. “Goodbye, lads. You did well, destroying the telkhines. I’ll always remember you for that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It sounded very final, that goodbye. Then he erupted into a column of flame, and the fire moved over the water, heading back to the world outside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico went back to bed eventually, but Percy decided to go for a walk around the island. By the time he returned to the meadow the sun would be rising soon. It was maybe five in the morning, but Calypso was still in her garden, tending the flowers by starlight. Her moonlace glowed silver, and the other plants responded to the magic, glowing red and yellow and blue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He has ordered you to return,” Calypso guessed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. He gave me a choice.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes met his. “I promised I would not offer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Offer what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For you to stay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You would be immortal on this island,” she said quietly. ‘“You would never age or die. You could leave the fight to others, Percy Jackson. You could escape your prophecy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not how it works,” he shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It could be,” Calypso rose and took his hand. Her hands were warm and soft. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The truth is, I am trapped here, Percy. I did not wish to tell you...  this is my home forever. I may never leave, but… the gods send me companionship from time to time. Every thousand years or so, they allow a hero to wash up on my shores, someone who needs my help. I tend to him and befriend him, but it is never random. The Fates make sure that the sort of hero they send…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her voice trembled, and she had to stop. He squeezed her hands gently and waited for her to continue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They send a person who can never stay,” she whispered. “Who can never accept my offer of companionship for more than a little while. They send me a hero I can’t help… just the sort of person I can’t help falling in love with.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me.” He still found it absurd that even one girl could like him, let alone love him. More than that was just ludicrous. And honestly, he was sure if she really knew him - knew the absolute vile in his soul, that she’d never want it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you could see your face,” She suppressed a smile, though her eyes were still teary. “Of course, you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Trust me, I’m… I’m not the kind of guy you want to spend eternity with,” He chuckled. “It’s hard to explain, but I’m no good for you, trust me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy was no Theseus. Not a tragic hero, just tragic. And he was bound to spread it to everyone close to him, and the only ones who could take it were the ones similarly submerged in that misery and pain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is enough,” Calypso promised. “I told myself I would not even speak of this. I would let you go without even offering. But I can’t. I suppose the Fates knew that, too. You could stay with me, Percy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh, how tempting that offer was if he didn’t think about it. And he’s almost selfish enough to take it. He’d given everything to this world, to the gods, once before. He could choose to never be a part of it again, to let the world disappear and shrink to nothing but this island. Just him and Calypso, though Nico would no doubt hate him and return to Manhattan alone. He’d be the hero who gave up but he’d be the hero who lived. There’s so few of those these days. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t,” he said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked down sadly. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would never do anything to hurt you,” he said, “but my friends need me. I have to go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She picked a flower from her garden – a sprig of silver moonlace. Its glow faded as the sunrise came up. Daybreak is a good time for decisions, Hephaestus had said. Calypso tucked the flower into his T-shirt pocket. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the forehead, like a blessing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then fetch your friend and come to the beach, my hero. And we will send you on your way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The raft was a three-meter square of logs lashed together with a pole for a mast and a simple white linen sail. It didn’t look like it would be very seaworthy, or even lake worthy, but he knew that appearances were deceiving. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This will take you wherever you desire,” Calypso promised. “It is quite safe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico was already sitting on the raft, looking tired but excited. Percy stood with one foot on, one foot still in the sand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> see you again,” he said, looking back at Calypso.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shook her head. “No man ever finds Ogygia twice, Percy. When you leave, I will never see you again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Right.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>One man will, just not me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Fates are cruel, Percy. Just remember me,” Then a little trace of her smile returned. “Plant a garden in Manhattan for me, will you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” he nodded, stepping onto the raft. Immediately it began to sail from the shore. As they sailed into the lake, Nico waved at the shrinking figure on the beach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I swear it, you’ll be free someday. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>be okay, Calypso,” he whispered to himself, as he directed the raft to take them home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To Camp Half-Blood.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>A few hours of sailing later, and they washed up at Camp. Even with his nautical skills, Percy wasn’t really able to track their journey until he could already see the shore. Of course, he knew it would be impossible to navigate the way back, but he didn’t appreciate the gap in his memory regardless. He’d had enough of people messing with his head in his life, thank you very much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they landed on the beach with the help of some friendly sharks, the camp seemed deserted. It was late afternoon, but the archery range was empty. The climbing wall poured lava and rumbled all by itself. Pavilion, cabins, all empty. Smoke rose from the amphitheatre though, which he only registered as odd when he realized it wasn’t anywhere near the right time to be roasting marshmallows. Nico didn’t seem to understand the implications of that, but the kid did look nervous at the eerie emptiness of a place usually so full of life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Together, they walked in silence towards the smoke, until they could hear someone giving a speech. It was obviously Chiron, and when they finally got close enough to discern the words it was clear what was going on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“– assume they are dead,” Chiron said. “After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked their cabin leader, and best surviving friend respectively to do the honors.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Creeping up the back of the ampitheatre, no one noticed either of them. Everyone was looking forward to the Stoll brothers and Annabeth, both holding silk burial cloths - one a soft sea green with a trident embroidered on it, and the other yellow with Hermes’s symbol. It was a bit sad to think that if he had died today, Nico wouldn’t even be honored under the right father. But as a resident of the Hermes cabin for the last several months, there wasn’t exactly anything more fitting available unless Hades chose to put some sort of claim forward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both shouds were burned, and Annabeth stepped back and turned to face the audience. She looked awful, like it was the absolute worst day of her life. He didn’t blame her for wanting to get his eulogy over with first. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was probably the bravest friend I’ve ever had. He…” then her eyes landed on him. Her face went red. “He’s right there!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Heads turned. People gasped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy!” Beckendorf grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor and Travis ran over and hoisted Nico up on their shoulders with a cheer. A bunch of other kids came over to crowd them, clapping Percy on the back and the rest of the Hermes cabin looked suspiciously close to crowd-surfing their returned member. It was sweet, if incredibly overwhelming, and he honestly wished he was just about anywhere else at the moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few curses could be heard from the Ares cabin, but Clarisse just rolled her eyes, like she couldn’t believe he’d had the nerve to survive. Chiron cantered over and everyone made way for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” he sighed with obvious relief. “I don’t believe I’ve ever been happier to see the safe return of campers. But you must tell me-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” Annabeth interrupted, shoving aside the other campers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To anyone else it might’ve looked like she was about to punch him, but he was raising his arms (well, arm) seconds before she pulled him in for a hug tight enough to crack ribs. He kinda wished he’d at least attempted to lift his left arm, because it was being crushed against his side, celestial bronze digging into his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other campers fell silent. Annabeth seemed to realize she was making a scene and pushed him away. “I – we thought you were dead, Seaweed Brain!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I’m sorry - It was an accident!”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“AN ACCIDENT?” she yelled. “Two weeks, Percy? Where in the world-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! It wasn’t his fault!” Nico interrupted, trying to find a way down before the Stolls graciously lowered him to the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before she could retort, Chiron stepped in. “Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private, shall we? The rest of you, back to your normal activities!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without waiting for them to protest, he scooped up Annabeth and Percy like disobedient kittens and put them on his back, (though he let Nico climb up by himself, favorites much?) and ran them off to the Big House. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t require more than a brief look between them for the boys to decide not to mention Calypso. They explained as much of the story as they could besides that - the eruption, landing on an island, Hephaestus visiting and coming back to Camp on a raft. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been gone almost two weeks.” Annabeth’s voice was steadier now, but she still looked pretty shaken up. “When I heard the explosion, I thought-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know. And I’m sorry, but…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can get that thing Percy needs to get through the Labyrinth now, right?” Nico asked, practically bouncing in his seat. “I mean, we just needed to get back to Manhattan, so we just have to get it and we can go back and-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Slow down,” Annabeth said, staring Percy down. “What is it that we need in the first place? Hera said you knew, but you never told us what it is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shifted in his seat, trying to think of how to phrase it. Finally, he just told them what they needed to do and braced for chaos. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth’s jaw dropped. “Percy, that’s crazy!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron sat back in his wheelchair and stroked his beard. “There is a precedent, however. Theseus had the help of Ariadne. Harriet Tubman, daughter of Hermes, used many mortals on her Underground Railroad for just this reason.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But this is my quest,” Annabeth said. “I need to lead it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron looked uncomfortable. “My dear, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> your quest. But you need help.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And this is supposed to help? Please! It’s wrong. It’s cowardly. It’s –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hard to admit when you need help from someone. Especially a mortal. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not true.” Percy understood where she was coming from, but there really was no room for prejudice here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth glared at him. “You are the single most annoying person I have ever met!” And she stormed out of the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed, picking at the grooves of his arm. It was pretty useless at the moment, but until he got it fixed it was probably better to leave it on. He’d be unbalanced otherwise...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She will calm down,” Chiron promised. “She’s jealous, my boy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But there’s nothing to be jealous of! How am I supposed to convince her of that?” It was a question he’d been asking himself for years. Honestly, Piper and Hazel were totally cool, why was he cursed to always be the one screwing up with his girlfriend?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron chuckled. “That, you will have to discover for yourself. Annabeth is very territorial about those she’s close to, in case you haven’t noticed. She was quite worried about you. And now that you’re back, I think she suspects where you were marooned.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ridiculous,” he huffed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s marooned mean?” Nico asked, apparently deciding </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the most important thing Chiron had just mentioned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The centaur chuckled nervously, and Percy made some sort of vague answer before trying to move on. Thankfully Chiron stepped in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well… do not dwell on your choices,” he said. “You came back. That is what matters.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess so.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron smiled. “In the morning I will have Argus take the two of you into Manhattan. You might stop by your mother’s, Percy. She is… understandably distraught.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy sighed. Right, his mom. She was probably devastated, if anyone had thought to tell her he was presumed dead instead of just missing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait… two?” Nico asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The counselor looked a bit resigned. “Yes, Annabeth and Percy. While I understand you have gone through quite a bit in the past days, you are not an official member of this quest, Nico.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But that’s not fair! I want to go-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy set a hand on his friends shoulder, keeping him from bursting out of his seat. The kid seemed to barely contain his outrage, before shrugging Percy off and storming out of the cabin. Presumably to complain to the gods or work off his anger some other way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Chiron shared a look, and they seemed to agree that it was best not to go after him for now. They briefly discussed Grover’s searcher’s license, and Percy assured the centaur that his friends were still alive and safe, if the empathy link between him and Grover was anything to go by. Then came a much more serious topic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...There is something else I should tell you, Percy,” Chiron said. “Actually two unpleasant things.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy inclined his head, urging him to continue.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chris Rodriguez, our guest…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How's he holding up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He is getting worse. He’s in the infirmary now, too weak to move. I had to order Clarisse back to her regular schedule, because she was at his bedside constantly. He doesn’t respond to anything. He won’t take food or drink. None of my medicines help. He has simply lost the will to live.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>An awful way to die. But he understood why no one had decided to end Chris’s misery for him. Not only would Clarisse not forgive anyone who’d agreed to it, but it’d be cruel to take him away when she was likely still clinging to some hope that he’d get better. Even if it meant leaving a soldier to suffer for days on end.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry to say,” Chiron continued, “the other news is less pleasant still. Quintus has disappeared.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” he hummed, clearly disinterested. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Three nights ago he slipped into the Labyrinth. Juniper watched him go. It appears my worst fears may have been correct.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy shook his head. “What about Mrs. O’leary?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The hellhound is still in the arena. It won’t let anyone approach. I did not have the heart to force it into a cage… or destroy it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, whatever you think of him,” he sighed, “I don’t think he’s betrayed us, really.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron tilted his head, encouraging him to elaborate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t think he was really on our side in the first place. A guy like that only serves himself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps. But for now, you should prepare yourself for the morning. You and Annabeth still have much to do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Percy left him in the Big House, and went for a walk. He needed to clear his head, but he also wanted to stop by the sword arena and check up on Mrs O’leary. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, when he stepped in she was curled up in an enormous black furry mound in the middle of the stadium, chewing halfheartedly on the head of a warrior dummy. When she caught sight of him, she bounded over and gave him a pretty thorough bath of dog drool - one of the few liquid things that he generally has no control over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoa,” he yelled. “Can’t breathe! You gotta get up now!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sat back just enough for him to sit up and give her some scritches behind the ears. He spent a good while like that, before distracting her with a large dog biscuit from a crate of them so he could wipe some of the drool off with a towel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re lucky she didn’t bite your head off,” A voice called from the entrance to the arena. Clarisse was standing there with her sword and shield. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Came here to practise yesterday,” she grumbled. “Dog tried to chew me up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, she just has good taste I guess.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Funny.” She walked towards them. Mrs O’Leary growled, but he patted her back and she calmed down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stupid hellhound,” Clarisse said. “Not going to keep me from practising.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m… sorry about Chris,” he finally said, as she paced the arena. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Clarisse came up to the nearest dummy, she attacked it viciously, chopping its head off with a single blow and driving her sword through its guts. She pulled the sword out and kept walking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well. Sometimes things go wrong.” Her voice was shaky. “Heroes get hurt. They… they die, and the monsters just keep coming back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She picked up a javelin and threw it across the arena. It nailed a dummy straight between the eyeholes of its helmet. She had called Chris a hero, like he had never gone over to the Titans’ side. But he got it - sometimes you don’t stop caring about someone, even after they betray you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded. “Life sucks. Good people die, bad people don’t get punished when they should. I do hope that… things get better for you, at least.” That much was true. Bully or not, Clarisse wasn’t really a bad person. Just a girl with a lot of anger who was never taught how to express it in a healthy way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She glared at Percy, like she was ready to come at him next. “Do me a favour,” she said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you find Daedalus, don’t trust him. Don’t ask him for help. Just kill him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Clarisse-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because anybody who can make something like the Labyrinth, Percy? That person is evil. Plain evil.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That… was fair. Maybe not a favor he could actually grant in the end, but a fair one to ask. And he did agree, at least somewhat, with her reasoning. Even if it hadn’t been Daedalus’s initial intentions when creating the maze, the way he designed it could only cause pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sheathed her sword. “Practice time is over. From now on, it’s for real.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If only that were true, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he mourned silently, catching his reflection in the gleam of his arm. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>been</span>
  <em>
    <span> real for far too long. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>That night Percy showered and found himself staring at himself in his bathroom mirror, pausing as he reached for his shirt on the counter. He had a lot of scars, but they weren’t the ones he was familiar with. They weren’t the ones that had helped him grow and learn, they were just painful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One mark was just a few inches long, near his heart but not quite there. Luke’s sword, Backbiter, had stabbed him clean through on his first summer back. If he turned around, there’d be a twin mark just below his shoulder blades. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His prosthetic arm was off at the moment, being useless. All that was there now was a small disc where it attacked, and a ring of scarred flesh where the metal had burned him in the volcano. And, though he could only glance at it since it was really hard to one’s own back, he knew there was a patchwork of burned flesh there as well. They looked years old now, thanks to the work of nectar and ambrosia, but they were still there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Healing claw marks on his shoulders from Kelli. A round puncture mark from Echidna’s chimera. Three very faint lines coming from his hairline to just over his right eye, from one of the Furies. (That one was almost gone, since it’d been fairly shallow, but in the right light you could just barely notice it.) Various small nicks from debris, and a good number of fading bruises. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was marked from head to toe alright, and not a single one brought him pride. Not that scars should, generally, but he used to feel a little bit of schadenfreude when he glanced at the star-shaped mark on the back of his hand - for surviving Luke’s cheap attack. He used to be happy that he’d survived at all, not he just saw every wound as a failure. A time when, despite the fact that he was supposed to know what was going to happen, he was still too slow or too forgetful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy yanked his pajamas on and laid in bed for hours, tossing and turning. He didn’t want to get up, he just didn’t have the energy to do anything else, even when his eyelids refused to close. Kicking all the sheets off the bed, then rolling over and pulling them back on top of himself with his one good hand and trying not to fall off without his other hand to balance himself; Hitting the wall with his pillow, and eventually throwing it at the gently-swaying bronze hippocampi to see how many he could get at once; Then feeling bad and apologizing to Tyson even though his brother wasn’t there. This was how he spent his time until the moon finally slipped below the horizon and the sun began its ascent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wouldn’t be able to say later if he’d actually fallen asleep, or just hallucinated the whole thing, but one moment he was staring at the bunk above him, and the next he was dreaming.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>This time he was in a king’s courtroom – a big white chamber with marble columns and a wooden throne. Sitting on it was a plump guy with curly red hair and a crown of laurels. At his side stood three girls who looked like his daughters - they all had his red hair and were dressed in blue robes. The doors creaked open and a herald announced, “Minos, King of Crete!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man on the throne smiled at his daughters. “I cant wait to see the expression on his face.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minos, the royal creep himself, swept into the room. He was so tall and serious he made the other king look silly. Minos’s pointed beard had gone grey. He looked thinner than the last time Percy had dreamt of him, and his sandals were spattered with mud, but the same cruel light shone in his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He bowed stiffly to the man on the throne. “King Cocalus. I understand you have solved my little riddle?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cocalus smiled. “Hardly little, Minos. Especially when you advertise across the world that you are willing to pay a thousand gold talents to the one who can solve it. Is the offer genuine?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minos clapped his hands. Two buff guards walked in, struggling with a big wooden crate. They set it at Cocalus’s feet and opened it. Stacks of gold bars glittered. It had to be worth several hundred million dollars, and that was if it was just plain gold. Imperial gold would sell for even more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cocalus whistled appreciatively. “You must have bankrupted your kingdom for such a reward, my friend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is not your concern.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cocalus shrugged. “The riddle was quite simple, really. One of my retainers solved it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Father,” one of the girls warned. She looked like the oldest – a little taller than her sisters. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cocalus ignored her. He took a spiral seashell from the folds of his robe. A silver string had been threaded through it, so it hung like a huge bead on a necklace. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minos stepped forward and took the shell. “One of your retainers, you say? How did he thread the string without breaking the shell?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He used an ant, if you can believe it. Tied a silk string to the little creature and coaxed it through the shell by putting honey at the far end.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ingenious man,” Minos said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, indeed. My daughters’ tutor. They are quite fond of him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minos’s eyes turned cold. ‘“ would be careful of that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy wished that this man had the brains to see that Minos was not a man to be trifled with, but then again Cocalus’s arrogance suggested the kind of stupid that can never be cured. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The redheaded king chuckled. “Not to worry, Minos. My daughters are wise beyond their years. Now, about my gold-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Minos said. “But, you see, the gold is for the man who solved the riddle. And there can be only one such man. You are harbouring Daedalus.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cocalus shifted uncomfortably on his throne. “How is it that you know his name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He is a thief,” Minos said. “He once worked in my court, Cocalus. He turned my own daughter against me. He helped a usurper make a fool of me in my own palace. And then he escaped justice. I have been pursuing him for ten years.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew nothing of this. But I have offered the man my protection. He has been a most useful-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I offer you a choice,” Minos said. “Turn over the fugitive to me, and this gold is yours. Or risk making me your enemy. You do not want Crete as your enemy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cocalus paled. Percy thought it was unwise to let yourself look so threatened in your own home. This would've been a good time to summon guards. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Father,” his oldest daughter said, “you cant –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Silence, Aelia.” Cocalus twisted his beard. He looked again at the glittering gold. “This pains me, Minos. The gods do not love a man who breaks his oath of hospitality.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The gods do not love those who harbour criminals, either.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cocalus nodded. “Very well. You shall have your man in chains.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Father!” Aelia said again. Then she caught herself, and changed her voice to a sweeter tone. “At – at least let us feast with our guest first. After his long journey, he should be treated to a hot bath, new clothes and a decent meal. I would be honoured to draw the bath myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She smiled prettily at Minos, and the old king grunted. “I suppose a bath would not be amiss.” He looked at Cocalus. “I will see you at dinner, my lord. With the prisoner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This way, Your Majesty,” said Aelia. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She and her sisters led Minos out of the chamber. Percy followed them into a bath chamber decorated with mosaic tiles. Steam filled the air. A running-water faucet poured hot water into the tub. Aelia and her sisters filled it with rose petals and something that must be the ancient version of bubble bath solution, because soon the water was covered with multicoloured foam. The girls turned aside as Minos dropped his robes and slipped into the bath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ahh.” He smiled. “An excellent bath. Thank you, my dears. The journey has been long indeed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have been chasing your prey ten years, my lord?” Aelia asked, batting her eyelashes. “You must be very determined.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I never forget a debt.” Minos grinned. “Your father was wise to agree to my demands.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, indeed, my lord!” Aelia said. He thought she was laying it o a little thick, but Minos was eating it up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aelia’s sisters trickled scented oil over the king’s head. “You know, my lord,” Aelia said, “Daedalus thought you would come. He thought the riddle might be a trap, but he couldn’t resist solving it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minos frowned. “Daedalus spoke to you about me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, my lord.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He is a bad man, princess. My own daughter fell under his spell. Do not listen to him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He is a genius,” Aelia said. “And he believes a woman is just as smart as a man. He was the first ever to teach us as if we had minds of our own. Perhaps your daughter felt the same way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minos tried to sit up, but Aelia’s sisters pushed him back into the water. Aelia came up behind him. She held three tiny orbs in her palm. When she threw them into the water, the beads sprouted bronze threads that began wrapping themselves around the king, tying him up at the ankles, binding his wrists to his sides, circling his neck. He thrashed and cried out, but the girls were much stronger. Soon he was helpless, lying in the bath with his chin just above the water. The bronze strands were still wrapping themselves around him like a cocoon, tightening across his body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you want?” Minos demanded. “Why do you do this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aelia smiled. “Daedalus has been kind to us, Your Majesty. And I do not like you threatening our father.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You tell Daedalus,” Minos growled. “You tell him I will hound him even after death! If there is any justice in the Underworld, my soul will haunt him for eternity!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Brave words, Your Majesty,” Aelia said. “I wish you luck finding your justice in the Underworld.” And with that, the bronze threads wrapped themselves around Minos’s face, making him a bronze mummy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door of the bathhouse opened. Daedalus stepped in, carrying a traveller’s bag. He’d trimmed his hair short. His beard was pure white. He looked frail and sad, but he reached down and touched the mummy’s forehead. The threads unravelled and sank to the bottom of the tub. There was nothing inside them. It was as if King Minos had just dissolved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A painless death,” Daedalus mused. “More than he deserved. Thank you, my princesses.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aelia hugged him. “You cannot stay here, teacher. When our father finds out –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Daedalus said. “I fear I have brought you trouble.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, do not worry for us. Father will be happy enough taking that old man’s gold. And Crete is a very long way away. But he will blame you for Minos’s death. You must flee to somewhere safe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Somewhere safe,” the old man repeated. “For years I have fled from kingdom to kingdom, looking for somewhere safe. I fear Minos told the truth. Death will not stop him from hounding me. There is no place under the sun that will harbour me, once word of this crime gets out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then where will you go?” Aelia said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A place I swore never to enter again,” Daedalus said. “My prison may be my only sanctuary.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do not understand,” Aelia said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s best you do not.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But what of the Underworld?” one of her sisters asked. “Terrible judgement will await you! Every man must die.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps,” Daedalus said. Then he brought a scroll from his travelling bag – the same scroll I’d seen in my last dream, with his nephew’s notes. “Or perhaps not.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> He patted Aelia’s shoulder, then blessed her and her sisters. He looked down once more at the coppery threads glinting in the bottom of the bath. “Find me if you dare, king of ghosts.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned towards the mosaic wall and touched a tile. A glowing mark appeared – a Greek Δ – and the wall slid aside. The princesses gasped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You never told us of secret passages!” Aelia said. “You have been busy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Labyrinth has been busy,” Daedalus corrected her. “Do not try to follow me, my dears, if you value your sanity.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The dream shifted. He was underground in a stone chamber. Luke and another half-blood warrior were studying a map by flashlight. Luke cursed. “It should’ve been the last turn.” He crumpled up the map and tossed it aside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sir!” his companion protested. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maps are useless here,” Luke said. “Don’t worry. I’ll find it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sir, is it true that the larger the group –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The more likely you’ll get lost? Yes, that’s true. Why do you think we sent out solo explorers to begin with? But don’t worry. As soon as we have the thread, we can lead the vanguard through.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But how will we get the thread?” Luke stood, flexing his fingers. “Oh, Quintus will come through. All we have to do is reach the arena, and it’s at a juncture. Impossible to get anywhere without passing it. That’s why we must have a truce with its master. We just have to stay alive until-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sir!” a new voice came from the corridor. Another guy in Greek armor ran forward, carrying a torch. “The dracaenae found a half-blood!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke scowled. “Alone? Wandering the maze?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir! You’d better come quick. They’re in the next chamber. They’ve got him cornered.”dead</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No one I’ve ever seen before, sir.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke nodded. “A blessing from Kronos. We may be able to use this half-blood. Come.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, the dream slipped away from him.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This was, by far, my least favorite chapter to write. But here it is, and I've been over it so many times that I don't think it's going to get any better.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When he finally dragged himself out of bed, he got dressed and pushed his hair back with his fingers before going out. The only thing that kept him back longer than thirty seconds was tying his shoes - which he gave up on pretty quickly and just tucked the laces under the tongue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stopped by the arena to make sure Mrs. O’Leary had plenty of biscuits, and asked Beckendorf to keep an eye on her. Charlie didn’t seem too happy about it but agreed. Then he hiked up the hill to meet Annabeth and Argus on the road. She stared for a moment at his arm, where his prosthetic was supposed to be, and bit her lip like she really wanted to tell him something. But after a minute she just turned away and stepped into the van behind Argus.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They didn’t speak much in the van, either. Annabeth and Percy because it felt awkward, and Argus just never spoke to anyone. Eventually he decided to pipe up, because Annabeth looked queasy and he couldn’t stand it when she was upset with him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bad dream?” He finally asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shook her head. “Uhm, no. I’m sorry, I should’ve come and told you right away but-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But what? What happened?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Someone saw Nico leaving his cabin last night. He was heading towards Zeus’s Fist.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“He didn’t.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No one’s seen him since.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dammit! How’s he even supposed to get around in there?” Percy shouted, but really he was just angry with himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I knew he was upset, I should’ve gone after him, fuck, shit gods dammit-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She put a hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be okay, seaweed brain. We’ll find him, we have a guide now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was Saturday, and traffic was heavy going into the city. They arrived at his apartment around noon, and as soon as his mother answered the door she crushed him in a hug that was only slightly less suffocating than being sat on by a hellhound. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told them you were all right,” Sally said, but she sounded like the weight of the sky had just been lifted off her shoulders. She sat them down at the kitchen table and insisted on feeding them her special blue chocolate chip cookies while they filled her in on the quest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As usual, he tried to leave out the more horrifying bits, which was most of it. But that just made it seem even more dangerous when she knew he was leaving parts out, so he settled for describing every monster as briefly as possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” his mom said when he was done with the story, “you wrecked Alcatraz Island, made Mount St Helens explode and displaced half a million people, but at least you’re safe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s pretty much it, yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wish Paul were here,” she said, half to herself. “He wanted to talk to you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, right. I did kinda just walk away after supposedly being mauled by a raccoon…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth laughed. It was so refreshing to hear. “So </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>the story you went with?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not very creative, alright?” he sighed. “So what’ve you told him?” he asked, turning to his mom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shook her head. “What could I say? He’s a smart man, but even he seemed very confused. He thinks he made a bad impression, and when I said you weren’t home and couldn’t even take a phone call, he thought you were avoiding him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Well he hadn’t really meant for it to look like that, but it did look a bit weird in retrospect. Definitely better than setting a room on fire and being charged with assaulting cheerleaders; but making Paul worry about Percy not liking him for an accident that he couldn’t have prevented just made him feel guilty. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll talk to him,” he eventually promised. “After we’re done with the quest. I’ll even tell him the truth if you want.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sally put her hand on his shoulder. “You would do that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course. I think that he’ll take it better than you’d think.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Percy. I’ll tell him you’ll be home…” She frowned. “When? What happens now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth broke her cookie in half. “Percy has this plan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He told her about Rachel, and Theseus, trying to explain it as simply as he could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded slowly. “It sounds very dangerous. But it might work.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have the same abilities, don’t you?” he asked idly. “You must’ve been able to see through the Mist some, with the Minnotaur…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mom sighed. “Not so much now. When I was younger it was easier. But, yes, I’ve always been able to see more than was good for me. It’s one of the things that caught your father’s attention, when we first met. Just be careful. Promise me you’ll be safe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll try, Ms Jackson,” Annabeth said. “Keeping your son safe is a big job, though.” She folded her arms and glared out of the kitchen window. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy picked at his napkin and said nothing. Sally frowned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on with you two? Have you been fighting?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Neither of them spoke up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see,” his mom said, in a tone that said she knew a lot more than she let on. “Well, remember,” she said, “Grover and Tyson are counting on you two.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” they said in unison. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mom smiled. “Percy, you’d better use the phone in the hall. Good luck.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Relieved to get out of the kitchen, he ducked into the hall. Pulling the phone off the reciever, he fumbled for a moment before tucking it between his shoulder and chin so he could use his hand to dial the number he’d memorized. The ink had rubbed off his skin days ago, but he could see it just as clearly in his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They arranged a meeting in Times Square. He and Annabeth found Rachel Elizabeth Dare in front of the Marriott Marquis, and she was painted gold completely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her face, her hair, her clothes – everything. She looked like she’d been touched by King Midas. She was standing like a statue with five other kids all painted metallic – copper, bronze, silver. They were frozen in different poses while tourists hustled past or stopped to stare. Some passers-by threw money at the tarp on the sidewalk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sign at Rachel’s feet said ‘urban art for kids, donations appreciated.’ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Annabeth stood there for a few minutes, staring at Rachel, but if she noticed them she didn’t let on. She didn’t move, and when she blinked it was very hard to notice. She was a pretty good statue, and if he could he might’ve clapped at her ability to do something incomprehensible to pretty much anyone with adhd. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe if we push her over,” Annabeth suggested.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy thought that’d be funny, but Rachel didn’t respond. After another few minutes, a kid in silver walked up from the hotel taxi stand, where he’d been taking a break. He took a pose like he was lecturing the crowd, right next to Rachel. Rachel unfroze and stepped off the tarp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Percy.” She grinned. “Good timing! Let’s get some coffee.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They walked down to a place called the Java Moose on West 43rd. Rachel ordered an Espresso Extreme, the kind of stuff Grover would like. He and Annabeth got fruit smoothies and the three of them sat at a table right under the stuffed moose. Nobody even looked twice at Rachel in her golden outfit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” she said. “It’s Annabelle, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Annabeth,” wise girl corrected her. “Do you always dress in gold?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not usually,” Rachel said. “We’re raising money for our group. We do volunteer art projects for elementary kids ‘cause they’re cutting art from the schools, you know? We do this once a month, take in about five hundred dollars on a good weekend. But I’m guessing you don’t want to talk about that. You’re a half-blood, too?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shhh!” Annabeth said, looking around. “Just announce it to the world, how about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” Rachel stood up and said, really loud, “Hey, everybody! These two aren’t human! They’re half Greek god!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy sniggered. Nobody even looked over. Rachel shrugged and sat down. “They don’t seem to care.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not funny,” Annabeth said, glaring at him. Then she turned back to Rachel. “This isn’t a joke, mortal girl.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, you two, just calm down.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m calm.” Rachel insisted. “Every time I’m around you, some monster attacks us. What’s to be nervous about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, I’m sorry about what happened in the band room. Your parents didn’t try to pull you out or anything, right”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nah. They thought the place should be tented, though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For redheads?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, quit it. Look, Rachel, we’ve got a problem. And we need your help.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel narrowed her eyes at Annabeth. “You need </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> help?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth stirred her straw in her smoothie. “Yeah,” she said sullenly. “Maybe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He told Rachel about the Labyrinth, and how they needed her to find Daedalus, describing how the maze was impossible to navigate otherwise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you want me to guide you,” she said. “Through a place I’ve never been.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can see through the Mist,” he insisted. “Just like Ariadne. I’m betting you can see the right path. The Labyrinth won’t be able to fool you as easily.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And if you’re wrong?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then we’ll get lost. Either way, it’ll be dangerous. More dangerous than those empousa cheerleaders.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could die?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll try to make sure that doesn’t happen.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought you said monsters don’t care about mortals. That sword of yours –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Celestial bronze doesn’t hurt mortals. Most monsters would ignore you. But Luke… he’ll use mortals, demigods, monsters, whatever. And he’ll kill anyone who gets in his way.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice guy,” Rachel said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s under the influence of a Titan,” Annabeth said defensively. “He’s been deceived.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel looked back and forth between them. “Okay,” she said, “I’m in.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy nodded. “Are you sure?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, my summer was going to be boring. This is the best offer I’ve had yet. So what do I look for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have to find an entrance to the Labyrinth,” Annabeth said. “There’s an entrance at Camp Half-Blood, but you can’t go there. It’s off-limits to mortals.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She said mortals like it was some sort of terrible condition, but Rachel just nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. What does an entrance to the Labyrinth look like?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It could be anything,” Annabeth said. “A section of wall. A boulder. A doorway. A sewer entrance. But it would have the mark of Daedalus on it. A Greek Delta, glowing in blue.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like this?” Rachel drew the symbol Δ in water on the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s it,” Annabeth said. “You know Greek?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,’”Rachel said. She pulled a big blue plastic hairbrush from her pocket and started brushing the gold out of her hair. “Let me get changed. You’d better come with me to the Marriott.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because there’s an entrance like that in the hotel basement, where we store our costumes. It’s got the mark of Daedalus.” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The metal door was half hidden behind a laundry bin full of dirty hotel towels. There was nothing special about it, until you looked in the right place, and there was the symbol of Daedalus etched into the frame.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It hasn’t been used in a long time,” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I tried to open it once,” Rachel said, “just out of curiosity. It’s rusted shut.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.” Annabeth stepped forward. “It just needs the touch of a half-blood.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, as soon as Annabeth put her hand on the mark, it glowed blue. The metal door unsealed and creaked open, revealing a dark staircase leading down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow.” Rachel looked calm, but she could’ve been pretending. She’d changed into a ratty Museum of Modern Art T-shirt and her regular marker-coloured jeans, her blue plastic hairbrush sticking out of her pocket. Her red hair was tied back, but she still had flecks of gold in it, and traces of the gold glitter on her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… after you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re the guide,” Annabeth said with mock politeness. “Lead on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The stairs led down to a large brick tunnel. It was so dark they couldn’t see further than a metre ahead, but he and Annabeth had restocked on flashlights. As soon as they turned them on, Rachel yelped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A skeleton was grinning up at them. It wasn’t human. First of all, it was huge - bigger than most of the tallest people Percy had ever met. It had been strung up, chained by its wrists and ankles so it made a kind of giant X over the tunnel. But what was really upsetting about it was the one large eye socket in the center of it’s skull.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A Cyclops,” Annabeth said. “It’s very old. It’s not… anybody we know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t Tyson, she meant. But that didn’t make him feel any better, the sight still made his stomach queasy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel swallowed. “You have a friend who’s a Cyclops?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“By brother Tyson,” he said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your brother?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Half, technically. He’s also a son of Poesidon. Hopefully we’ll find him down here - and our friend Grover. He’s a satyr.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Her voice was small. “Well then, we’d better keep moving.” She stepped under the skeleton’s left arm and kept walking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Annabeth exchanged looks. Annabeth shrugged. They turned forward and followed Rachel deeper into the maze. After fifteen metres they came to a crossroads. Ahead, the brick tunnel continued. To the right, the walls were made of ancient marble slabs. To the left, the tunnel was earth and tree roots. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pointed left. “That looks like the tunnel Tyson and Grover took.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth frowned. “Yeah, but the architecture to the right – those old stones – that’s more likely to lead to an ancient part of the maze, towards Daedalus’s workshop.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We need to go straight,” Rachel said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both looked at her. “That’s the least likely choice,” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t see it?” Rachel asked. “Look at the floor.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy saw nothing, but he trusted that something was there if she said there was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s a brightness there,” Rachel insisted. “Very faint. But forward is the correct way. To the left, further down the tunnel, those tree roots are moving like feelers. I don’t like that. To the right, there’s a trap about seven metres down. Holes in the walls, maybe for spikes. I don’t think we should risk it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy nodded. “Okay. Forward.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You believe her?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What would be the point if I didn’t?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth looked like she wanted to argue, but she waved at Rachel to lead on. Together they kept walking down the brick corridor. It twisted and turned, but there were no more side tunnels. They seemed to be angling down, heading deeper underground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No traps?” Percy asked to be sure.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing.” Rachel knitted her eyebrows. “Should it be this easy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was a lot harder before, but don’t think we’re in the clear yet.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Rachel,” Annabeth said, “where are you from, exactly?” She said it like she was asking what planet the other girl was from, but Rachel didn’t look offended. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Brooklyn,” she said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t your parents going to be worried if you’re out late?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel exhaled. “Not likely. I could be gone a week and they’d never notice.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why not?” This time Annabeth didn’t sound as sarcastic. Having trouble with parents was something she understood well. Before Rachel could answer, there was a creaking noise ahead, like old doors opening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Rachel said. “Metal hinges.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s very helpful. I mean, what is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Percy heard heavy footsteps coming down the corridor towards them. “Run?” he proposed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Run,” Rachel agreed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The trio turned and fled the way they’d come, but didn’t make it six metres before running straight into some old friends. Two dracaenae levelled their javelins forward at them.Standing between the snake-women was Kelli.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, well,” Kelli said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy uncapped Riptide with his teeth, and Annabeth pulled her knife, but before the sword was even out of pen form Kelli pounced on Rachel. Her hand turned into a claw and she spun Rachel around, holding her tight, with her talons at Rachel’s neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Taking your little mortal pet for a walk?” Kelli asked him. “They’re such fragile things. So easy to break!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Behind them, the footsteps came closer. A huge form appeared out of the gloom – a three metre-tall Laistrygonian giant with red eyes and fangs. The giant licked his lips when he saw them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I eat them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Kelli said. “Your master will want these. They will provide a great deal of entertainment.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She smiled at Percy. “Now march, half-bloods. Or you all die here, starting with the mortal girl.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>This was not a very fun time for Percy. But he was already exhausted in pretty much every way a man could be, so he walked silently as they were marched down the tunnel. Flanked by two dracaenae, with Kelli and the giant bringing up the rear, there wasn’t much hope for escape anyway. Certainly, if no one was concerned about them making a break for it straight forward, then whatever was ahead was just as bad as a fight where they were already outmatched. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Up ahead he could see bronze doors. They were about three and a half metres tall, emblazoned with a pair of crossed swords. From behind them came a muffled roar, like a crowd. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yessssss,” said the snake woman on my left. “You’ll be very popular with our hossssst.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And who’s your host?” Percy asked, though it was more for Annabeth’s sake than his own. It’d be pretty hard to forget a fight like the one ahead of him, after all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hissed, which might have been a laugh. “Oh, you’ll sssssee. You’ll get along famousssly. He’ssss your brother, after all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The giant pushed past them and opened the doors. He picked up Annabeth by her shirt and said, “You stay here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” she protested, but the guy was twice her size and he’d already confiscated her knife and Anaklusmos. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kelli laughed. She still had her claws at Rachel’s neck. “Go on, Percy. Entertain us. We’ll wait here with your friends to make sure you behave.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked back to Rachel, and his lips pressed into a thin line for a moment. “I’ll get you out of here,” he finally promised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded as much as she could with a demon at her throat. “That would be nice.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The dracaenae prodded Percy towards the doorway at javelin-point, and he walked out onto the floor of an arena. It wasn’t the largest fighting arena, but it was still pretty spacious for being underground. The dirt floor was circular, and just big enough that you could drive a car around the rim if you pulled it really tight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the centre of the arena, a fight was going on between a giant and a centaur. The centaur looked panicked. He was galloping around his enemy, using sword and shield, while the giant swung a javelin the size of a telephone pole and the crowd cheered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first tier of seats was four metres above the arena floor. Plain stone benches wrapped all the way around, and every seat was full. There were giants, dracaenae, demigods, telkhines and even stranger things: bat-winged demons and creatures that seemed half human and half you name it – bird, reptile, insect, mammal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the creepiest things were the skulls - the arena was full of them. They ringed the edge of the railing, metre-high piles of them decorated the steps between the benches. They grinned from pikes at the back of the stands and hung on chains from the ceiling like horrible chandeliers. Some of them looked very old – nothing but bleached-white bone. Others looked a lot fresher. Like, still fleshy and dripping gore fresh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the middle of all this, proudly displayed on the side of the spectators’ wall, was something that put a bad taste in his mouth: a green banner with the trident of Poseidon in the centre. And sitting above the banner, was the man himself:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luke godsdammned Castellan,” Percy muttered under his breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no way he’d heard Percy over the roar of the crowd, but he smiled coldly. He was wearing camouflage combat trousers, a white T-shirt and a bronze breastplate, just like he’d dreamed about just hours earlier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Next to him sat the largest giant Percy had seen in awhile. The giant next to Luke was easily twenty feet tall, and so wide he took up three seats. He wore only a loincloth, and his skin was dark red and tattooed with blue wave designs. Antaeus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a cry from the arena floor, and he jumped back as the centaur crashed to the ground beside his feet. He met Percy’s eyes pleadingly. “Help!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instinctively, he reached for Riptide, but it hadn’t reappeared in his pocket yet after being taken. With no weapon and with one arm, Percy didn’t really like the idea of jumping into this fight. The centaur struggled to get up as the giant approached, his javelin ready. A taloned hand gripped his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you value your friendsss’ livesss,” the dracaena guard said, “you won’t interfere. This isssn’t your fight. Wait your turn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The centaur couldn’t get up. One of his legs was broken. The giant put his huge foot on the horseman’s chest and raised the javelin. He looked up at Luke. The crowd cheered, “DEATH! DEATH!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke didn’t do anything, but Antaeus rose. He smiled down at the centaur, who was whimpering, “Please! No!” Then the giant held out his hand and gave the thumbs down sign. As he watched, the giant speared the centaur through the chest, disintegrating him to ashes. All that was left was a single hoof, which the giant took up as a trophy and showed to the crowd. They roared their approval. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A gate opened at the opposite end of the stadium and the giant marched out in triumph. In the stands, Anteaus raised his hands for silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good entertainment!” he bellowed. “But nothing I haven’t seen before. What else do you have, Luke, son of Hermes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke’s jaw tightened. He clearly didn’t like being called a son of Hermes. He hated his father. But he rose calmly to his feet, eyes glittering. In fact, he seemed to be in a pretty good mood considering. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lord Antaeus,” Luke said, loud enough for the crowd to hear, “you have been an excellent host! We would be happy to amuse you, to repay the favour of passing through your territory.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A favour I have not yet granted,” Antaeus growled. “I want entertainment.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke bowed. “I believe I have something better than centaurs to fight in your arena now. I have a brother of yours,” He pointed at Percy. “Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd began jeering at him and throwing stones, all of which Percy dodged or knocked away with his hand. Antaeus’s eyes lit up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A son of Poseidon? Then he should fight well! Or die well!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If his death pleases you,’ Luke said, “will you let our armies cross your territory?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps!” Antaeus said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke didn’t look too pleased about the ‘perhaps’. He glared down at Percy, as if warning him to die in a very spectacular way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luke!” Annabeth yelled. “Stop this. Let us go!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke seemed to notice her for the first time. He looked stunned for a moment. “Annabeth?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enough time for the females to fight afterwards,” Antaeus interrupted. “First, Percy Jackson, what weapons will you choose?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The dracaenae pushed him into the middle of the arena. He stared up at Antaeus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How can you be a son of Poseidon?”Antaeus laughed, and the rest of the crowd laughed, too. “I am his favourite son!” Antaeus boomed. “Behold, my temple to the Earthshaker, built from the skulls of all those I’ve killed in his name! Your skull shall join them!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy contemplated for a moment if Poseidon would actually be the kind of god to enjoy blood being spilt in his name. His dad had never said anything about it, but this wasn’t really the kind of conversation one had between father and son.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy!” Annabeth yelled to him. “His mother is Gaea! Gae–”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her Laistrygonian captor clamped his hand over her mouth. Yeah, a son of Gaea. So long as he touched the earth, there would be no killing him. But Percy seriously doubted he could start climbing any chains just now - he’d been building his strength back since the loss of his arm, but he hadn’t been the kinda guy who could do one-handed pullups even before that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think this is the best use of your time, Antaus. Luke isn’t an ally you want.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd screamed insults at him, but Antaeus raised his hand for silence. “Weapons,” he insisted. “And then we will see how you die. Will you have axes? Shields? Nets? Flamethrowers?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was flattering that his half-brother still thought he could hold most of those things with just one hand, but he didn’t want any of them anyways. “Just my sword,” he said, reaching for the pen he’d felt reappear in his pocket seconds prior.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Laughter erupted from the monsters, but as soon as he un-capped the blade, some of the voices in the crowd turned nervous. The bronze blade glowed with a faint light. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Round one!” Antaeus announced. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The gates opened, and a dracaena slithered out. She had a trident in one hand and a weighted net in the other – classic gladiator style. They were also weapons he’d been training against since he was actually twelve. She jabbed at Percy experimentally. He stepped away. She threw her net, hoping to tangle his sword up, but he wouldn't let that happen. Feigning left, he dropped onto his knee and thrust Riptide up through her abdomen, as she was still moving to block a strike from the side. With a wail, she disintegrated into sulphur. The crowd’s cheering went eerily quiet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” Antaeus bellowed. “Too fast! You must wait for the kill. Only I give that order!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck that, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice job, Percy.” Luke smiled. “You’ve not let yourself grow sloppy. I’ll grant you that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Round two!” Antaeus yelled. “And slower this time! More entertainment! Wait for my call before killing anybody, OR ELSE!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The gates opened again, and this time a young warrior came out. He was maybe sixteen. He had glossy black hair, and his left eye was covered with an eye patch. He was thin and wiry so his Greek armour hung on him loosely. He stabbed his sword into the ground, adjusted his shield straps and pulled on his horsehair helmet. Ethan Nakamura.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have to prove myself,” Ethan said. “Only way to join up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that he charged. Their swords met in midair and the crowd roared. Percy wouldn’t have as much strength to back up his strikes if the guy decided to go with two-handed strikes, so he knew he’d have to parry more than ever. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ethan pressed forward. He was good. He’d never been at Camp Half-Blood, Percy knew, but he’d been trained. He parried Percy’s strike and tried to run into him with his shield, but Percy side-stepped just in time. It was worthless to go for Ethan’s left side, he knew, because not only would the guy be able to block just as well on that side, but it’d leave Percy much more vulnerable left side undefended. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They circled each other, occasionally clashing for a few seconds before hopping back again. Getting a feel for each other's styles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Blood!” the monsters cried. Ethan glanced up to the stands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was his opponent’s main weakness, at the moment. He needed to impress the crowd, Percy had no such limitations. So he stopped moving into the center to fight, continuing to circle and letting his opponent come for him instead. Ethan was dressed for defence, so if Percy could force him into the offensive, he’d have the advantage - not so burdened by armour or a shield, he could dodge easier and keep putting distance between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Booo!” Antaeus shouted. “Stand and fight!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ethan pressed him, but Percy was fine just moving out of the way and ducking, occasionally kicking dirt up at his opponent’s face, but never rushing in. It was a game of cat-and-mouse, and Percy had almost twenty years of experience being the mouse. He could tell Ethan was getting tired under the weight of his equipment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd went nuts, yelling complaints and throwing rocks. They’d been fighting for almost five minutes and there was no blood. Finally Ethan made a mistake. He tried to jab at Percy in the stomach, and Percy locked their hilts, twisting until Ethan dropped his blade. And before his opponent could recover, he slammed into him shoulder-first, using the extra weight of Ethan’s armor against him, knocking him flat on his back. Percy rested the tip of Riptide against the other’s throat as he kicked the dropped weapon away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get it over with,” Ethan groaned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy looked to Antaeus. His red face was stony with displeasure, but he held up his hand and put it thumbs down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” he decided. There were plenty of people he regretted not killing on the spot, but Ethan wasn’t one of those. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be a fool,” Ethan said. “They’ll just kill us both!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Stabbing Riptide into the dirt, he offered Ethan his hand. Reluctantly, his opponent took it. Percy helped him up, before picking his sword back up and stepping forward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No one dishonours the games!” Antaeus bellowed. “Your heads shall both be tributes to Poseidon!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked at Ethan. “When you see your chance, run.” Then he turned back to his half-brother, and said what was probably the stupidest thing ever, “Why don’t you fight me yourself? If you really have Poesidon’s favor, come and prove it!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(He’d never say this aloud, but for Percy this was a matter of pride. He just wasn’t capable of letting himself think that, with all he’d done, that his Dad would still favor Antaeus over him.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The monsters grumbled in the stands. Antaeus looked around, and apparently realized he had no choice. He couldn’t say no without looking like a coward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am the greatest wrestler in the world, boy,” he warned. “I have been wrestling since the first </span>
  <em>
    <span>pankmtionf</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel was watching with wide eyes. Annabeth shook her head emphatically, the Laistrygonian’s hand still clamped over her mouth. Percy raised his blade and leveled it in Antaeus’s direction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Winner takes all, then. I win, and me and my friends go free. You win, we die.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No point in swearing. A dead man can keep no promises. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Antaeus laughed. “This shouldn’t take long. I agree to your terms!” He leaped off the railing into the arena. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good luck,” Ethan told him. “You’ll need it.” Then he backed up quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Antaeus cracked his knuckles. He grinned, showing off that even his teeth were etched with designs. Percy wondered how anyone had managed to get te lines so exact. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Weapons?’” the giant asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I only need my sword,” Percy said. “You?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He held up his huge hands and wiggled his fingers. “I don’t need anything else! Master Luke, you will referee this one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke smiled down at them. “With pleasure.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Antaeus lunged. Percy rolled under him, and sliced a long gash along the giant’s thigh. His opponent shouted in pain, but the wound was gone in moments when the earth rose up to heal the wound. He sighed, but he was already resigned to the fact that this was far from a fair fight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy continued to duck and weave as Antaeus tried everything from swiping at home to outright trying to pick him up and throwing him. And when he could, he went for quick jabs as high up as he could get - so that the earth would rise up as high as his opponent’s chest to heal him, immobilizing the giant for a few seconds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were going nowhere, though. “Come here and let me crush you. I’ll make it quick!” Antaeus demanded, rushing at him once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He needed water, if he wanted to get anywhere - both because his sword wasn’t doing anything as he was slowing down. It would give him the energy he needed to keep going, but there were a few problems with the practicality of bringing water into this fight. First and foremost: Antaeus was a son of Posiedon too. And while he hadn’t seen any evidence of it so far, presumably his half-brother also had some control over the element. And second: there wasn’t any. When he reached out, Percy could feel wine - in goblets and kegs, but that was it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, unless he counted the blood. Staining the dirt around them and the arena walls, dripping from recently-decapitated heads, and flowing in most of the monsters laughing and jeering at him from the stands. If he got that desperate, it might be an option, but he’d have to find a way to use it to end the fight quickly or he’d just become even more useless by passing out. Whether Poseidon could manipulate blood or not, his children clearly weren’t meant to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I just need time, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Time to think. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And there was only one way he could get that. Antaeus had grown wise to his tricks by now, and avoided hits any higher than the waist. But - well, he’d done it once before. And with the luck of the devil on his side, Percy figured he could probably manage it again if he was determined enough not to die. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So when he ducked around another wide swipe from his opponent, Percy ran until his back was to a wall. When Antaeus came for him again, he stepped forward and threw his sword - but not at the giant. No, this time he was aiming for something a lot thinner and harder to slice. This idea was banking entirely on the fact that celestial bronze was stronger than steel, and that he could throw his weapon hard enough for that to matter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Antaeus laughed as Riptide sailed over his head, thinking that Percy had just discarded his only weapon, in a desperate, failed attempt to hit his target. But as he watched, Percy saw the blade flip end-over-end just twice, before slicing right through one of the many chains decorating the ceiling with skulls. He grinned, and ran right at Antaeus - just to duck and slide right between the giant’s legs and past him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were some confused shouts from the crowd, and Luke was frowning, but Percy didn’t pay mind to any of those things as he ran at the chain no dangling just a foot over his head. This would take everything he had left in terms of strength, but he was determined. He jumped, and wrapped the chain around his arm, not quite pulling yet but preparing to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Predictably, Antaeus ran straight for him, seeing an opponent with no weapon, and with his only good arm stretched above his head and tangled in chains. In a move that Percy wasn’t expecting, but had secretly been hoping for, the giant ducked low as he ran, looking like he wanted to grab Percy with both hands and squeeze the life out of him. Or maybe tear him in half like a dog with their favorite chew-toy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a bitch to time it right, and when he suddenly moved forward to meet the giant, he was sure it wouldn’t work. But it seemed no one was expecting him to run up his opponent’s arm, hop onto his shoulders, and then spring-board off the back of his head. There was an outcry from the audience, and Luke was full-on scowling now; but Percy was cackling as the extra momentum helped him land right where he wanted to be - or, not exactly where he’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be</span>
  <em>
    <span>, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but close enough. With both legs wrapped around one of the hanging chains and his right arm straining to keep him semi-horizontal while still wrapped from wrist to elbow in the one he’d sliced, Percy thought there were about a million places he’d rather be right now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He scrambled to move himself into at least a position where he could sit up, when Antaeus bellowed in rage: “Get down here, you coward!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you come up here and fight me!” Percy shouted, sweat dripping down his face as his entire upper-body felt like one big charley-horse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Antaeus jumped a few times, trying to knock him down, but after a few tries he was out of patience. While the giant grabbed a chain of his own and tried to hoist himself up, Percy managed to flip himself up; it was more precarious than sitting on top of the monkey bars with no hands, but fuck he was desperate. He just prayed that Riptide would come back to him before Antaeus got off the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he took a moment to glance around, he noted with a smile that a few of the monsters below were struggling to keep a straight face as their host tried to pull himself up. A fat guy in a loincloth trying to climb anything would be funny, but he understood their restraint. Laughing at Antaeus was a guaranteed death sentence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, his half-brother was making some head-way, and before long he’d be at Percy’s level. He waited, carefully balancing himself and practicing holding himself up with just his legs for a few seconds at a time. All he’d need was a few seconds. Distantly in his mind, he thought that maybe he wasn’t meant to use his sword like this, but with a blade that was essentially a boomerang, what did the fates expect him to do? Honestly, he was more surprised that it took him so long to start practicing like this - maybe he’d learn to throw knives when he got back to camp. They wouldn’t reappear in his pocket or hand when he lost them, but it’d be easier than a bow. (He just prayed his abysmal archery skills didn’t transfer to all ranged weapons.) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the giant was just a meter from the end of his chain, he started swinging - either he was about to launch himself straight at Percy, or he was going to monkey-bar his way across. Either way, he was thankful when Riptide finally returned to his hand, gleaming and as deadly as ever. When his opponent swung and let go, he threw himself right at Percy - like a big sumo-man missile. It was, frankly, gods damned terrifying, but he held firm and stopped himself from flinching hard enough to throw him off-balance. Leveling Riptide where he figured the right height was, he closed his eyes. He honestly couldn’t bear to know if he’d fucked up or not until after. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a jolt, he felt the impact of Antaeus landing right on his sword, and Percy felt his heart leap out of his chest as the chain he was sitting on was rocked so hard that he fell backwards, letting go of his weapon in favor of holding on for dear life. As he opened his eyes in that split second to grab on, he noticed (with maybe the greatest rush of relief he’d ever felt in his life) that it’d worked. Anaklusmos was buried to the hilt whereabout he thought the giant’s heart should be, and his opponent’s face screwed up in pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t disappear immediately, but Percy noted with a hysterical, wheezy laugh, that Antaeus was clinging to the chains just as tightly - likely out of a basic survival instinct, not wanting to fall from such a height even if it would likely save his life. His half-brother dissolved slowly, more like sand in an hourglass than the usual explosion of sulfur he was used to. He could’ve honestly cried - but what he actually did was black out, as he felt himself let go and fall several meters to the arena floor below. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Can you SEE the plot holes yet, babes? Can you? Can you see when I got lazy? lmao</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Percy awoke to the distinct sensation of feeling like absolute garbage. He groaned, and suddenly stopped moving. Huh, he hadn’t even realized he’d been going anywhere - but he was, and stopping so suddenly made him feel nauseous. Someone laid him on the ground, and as he blearily blinked his eyes open, he woke up to Rachel and Annabeth staring down at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where are-?” he started, before he cut himself off with a cough, and didn’t try to finish his question. His spine felt like it’d been re-arranged, which might not be entirely inaccurate at this point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still in the maze, seaweed brain,” Annabeth sighed, sitting back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he glanced around, he realized they were in a large room - about the size of a gymnasium, with large marble columns stretching all the way up to the roof. And there was more than just them in the room, too: Ethan Nakamura was standing off to the side a few feet away, sitting against one of the columns. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You people are crazy,” he said, pulling off his helmet. His face gleamed with sweat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth gasped. “I remember you! You were one of the undetermined kids in Hermes cabin, years ago.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He glared at her. “Yeah, and you’re Annabeth. I remember.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What – what happened to your eye?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ethan looked away, and Percy figured it was an uncomfortable subject. He understood - most stories like that could only end in so many ways. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why were you trying to join up with the wrong side?” Annabeth finally asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ethan sneered. “There’s no</span>
  <em>
    <span> right </span>
  </em>
  <span>side. The gods never cared about us. Why shouldn’t I –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sign up with an army that makes you fight to the death for entertainment?” Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Gee, I wonder.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ethan struggled to his feet. “I’m not going to argue with you. Thanks for the help, but I’m out of here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait! We’re going after Daedalus,” she said. “Come with us. Back to camp.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You really are crazy if you think Daedalus will help you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He has to. We’ll make him listen.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ethan snorted. “Yeah, well. Good luck with that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy sat up with a groan, and stared the boy down. “Are you sure you want to go back out there alone? You have to know how bad of an idea that is by now. We have a way to navigate the maze, at the very least you could come with us, and when we get what we want, we’ll be able to get out of here. You could go wherever you want, but you’ll be above-ground.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He paused, not turning around, but not moving forward either. “You don’t have the string. There’s no way.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, we don’t,” Percy agreed. “We have her,” he pointed at Rachel. “She can see through the Mist better than any of us. The Labyrinth can’t fool her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he turned, Percy noticed that his eye patch was frayed around the edges and the black cloth was faded, like he’d been wearing it a long, long time. Finally, the boy shook his head and kept walking, back through the way they’d came. “You shouldn’t have spared me Jackson. But… I will remember what you did.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were all tired enough that they ended up setting camp right there. Percy could barely stand up straight, but he helped break off some wood from the walls where they could to help make a fire. It made shadows dance off the columns around them like trees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something was wrong with Luke,” Annabeth muttered, poking at the fire with her knife. “Did you notice the way he was acting?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy thought about that. Luke had looked nervous, but that made sense in the face of sacrificing yourself for a cause. Especially considering Luke wasn’t the kind of guy who could happily give his life for someone like Kronos, but was stubborn enough to pretend he was anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He seemed… nervous, I guess,” is what he said, not really wanting to commit to the answer. He really didn’t want to make Annabeth worry about that bastard even more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly! And he told his monsters to spare me. He wanted to tell me something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded along, but looked away from her to stare into the flames. Right now, Percy was mostly tired. Physically, sure, but just the thought of what he was going to have to do - to Luke, to Annabeth - was enough to drain any remaining dregs of emotional stability he’d been hanging onto. All he wanted was to sleep for a week, get his brother and friend back, and get his arm fixed at some point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...And probably drink a gallon of nectar, even if it burned him up from the inside out. His entire body was just a hastily-glued together bundle of pulled muscles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth sheathed her dagger and looked at Rachel. “So which way now, Sacagawea?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel didn’t respond right away. She’d been fairly quiet so far, and was using a stick from the fire to draw ash figures on the floor. With a few strokes she caught the likeness of a dracaena perfectly. Screw whatever people thought about fighting monsters, he thought it was crazy when artists could just make what was in their heads happen on paper like that. (Or, in this case, the floor.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll follow the path,” she said. “The brightness on the floor.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The brightness that led us straight into a trap?” Annabeth asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That wasn’t her fault, wise girl,” he grumbled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s mine. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth stood. “The fire’s getting low. I’ll go look for some more scraps while you guys talk strategy.” And she marched off into the shadows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel drew another figure with her stick – an ashy Antaeus chin-deep in mud. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Annabeth’s usually not like this,” he assured her. “I don’t know what her problem is…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel raised her eyebrows. “Are you sure you don’t know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He rolled his eyes. “I know </span>
  <em>
    <span>what </span>
  </em>
  <span>she’s upset about, but I’ve got no idea </span>
  <em>
    <span>why. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Does she expect me to apologize for having friends who are also girls? Honestly, it’s not fair to assume that every guy will leap at the chance to cheat around every corner.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess that’s true,” she nodded. “But I don’t think she sees it that way.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Clearly,” he grumbled. “...Sorry for getting you into all of this by the way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, you were right,” she said. “I can see the path. I can’t explain it, but it’s really clear.” She pointed towards the other end of the room, into the darkness. “The workshop is that way. The heart of the maze. We’re very close now. I don’t know why the path led through that arena. I – I’m sorry about that. I thought you were going to die.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sounded like she was close to crying. “Hey, I’m pretty much always about to die. It’s… well, that’s just how it is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She studied his face. “So you do this every summer? Fight monsters? Save the world? Don’t you ever get to do just, you know, normal stuff?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughed, though his spine protested greatly to that motion. “I wish I did. I mean, I go to school, I go shopping with my mom. But the rest of the time? It’s just more of…” he struggled to think of a good term. “...this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They sat in silence for a few moments. He didn’t really know what to do - he really didn’t want to talk about himself, and he knew Rachel wouldn’t want to say anything about her own life. It was just awkward, so eventually he moved a little bit away from the fire and laid down like he was going to bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Presumably Rachel had done the same, as he heard her moving around and laying her backpack flat like the worst kind of pillow. Really, he knows from experience - unless the only thing in your bag is clothes, it just leaves you with a headache and a crick in your neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later, Annabeth came back. She tossed some more sticks on the fire. She looked at Rachel, then at him. “I’ll take first watch,” she said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, you should probably sleep. I’ll-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to act like that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Like what?” He just thought it made the most sense. Even as dead-tired as he was, Percy knew he wouldn’t be able to just lay down and sleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like… never mind. Just get some sleep.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, he could at least lay for a bit and let his body heal, if nothing else. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He ended up not getting to sleep until after taking the second watch, when Annabeth eventually decided to get some rest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In his dreams, Percy heard laughter. Cold, harsh laughter, like knives being sharpened. He was standing on the edge of a pit that led straight to Tartarus, which instantly set him on edge. The darkness below him seemed to stir, like a writhing mass. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So close to your own destruction, little hero,” the voice of Kronos chided. “And still you are blind.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The voice sounded much more solid than the last time he’d heard it. More… real. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have much to thank you for,” Kronos said. “You have assured my rise.”The shadows in the cavern became deeper and heavier. Percy wanted to move, but his body wouldn’t comply with his wishes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A favour,” Kronos said. “The Titan lord always pays his debts. Perhaps you would like…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Something like a cold wind brushed over him, and suddenly he felt… something at his side. Percy glanced down, and recoiled in a mix of shock and horror. The writhing mass of the pit had stretched even further, and had wrapped itself around the stump of his left arm. When the shadows retreated back into their pit, his arm was there - just as it’d looked when he lost it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...this back?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If he could speak, Percy wasn’t sure what he’d say. He couldn’t accept, obviously, but… fuck it was tempting. As much as the logical side of his brain was saying </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck no, you can’t take anything from the Titan Lord, you idiot! For all you know it’ll gain a mind of its own and strangle you in your sleep or something! </span>
  </em>
  <span>The other, small part of him deep down wanted to just. Say yes and ignore the consequences. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All he’d done was give, give, give all his life. Until he’d literally sacrificed a piece of himself for the sake of another -absolutely loyal to a fault. But this was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kronos. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He could never live with himself, accepting anything from the guy who’d essentially ruined his entire life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Feet frozen in place and jaw glued shut, Percy made his answer known by shaking his head - hard enough to make him see spots in his vision. Or maybe that was just the shadows stretching out from the pit again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No? You do not like this gift?” The voice in the bit chuckled. “What a shame. Then perhaps… a glimpse of the friends you so easily abandoned.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What Percy saw next was almost enough to make him regret saying no to the first offer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hurry!” Tyson said. He came barrelling into the room. Grover stumbled along behind him. There was a rumbling in the corridor they’d come from, and the head of an enormous snake burst into the cave. When it opened its mouth, its fangs were as tall as Tyson. It lashed at Grover, butthe satyr scampered out of the way. The snake got a mouthful of dirt. Tyson picked up a boulder and threw it at the monster, smacking it between the eyes, but the snake just recoiled and hissed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s going to eat you!” Grover yelled at Tyson.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It just told me! Run!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson darted to one side, but the snake used its head like a club and knocked him off his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” Grover yelled. But before Tyson could regain his balance the snake wrapped around him and started to squeeze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson strained, pushing with all his immense strength, but the snake squeezed tighter. Grover frantically hit the snake with his reed pipes, but he might as well have been banging on a stone wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The whole room shook as the snake flexed its muscles, shuddering to overcome Tysons strength. Grover began to play the pipes, and stalactites rained down from the ceiling. The whole cave seemed about to collapse… </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy woke up gasping, and in a panic his eyes darted to his left side. No creepy, shadowy arms from the Titan Lord. He might’ve been able to calm down, if Annabeth wasn’t shaking him violently to get his attention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy, wake up! Earthquake!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, the room was rumbling. Rachel was already up, and they all snatched up their bags and ran. They were almost to the far tunnel when a column next to them groaned and buckled. The three of them kept going as a hundred tons of marble crashed down behind them. They made it into the corridor just in time to see the rest of the columns collapse behind them, creating a cloud of white dust. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what?” Annabeth said. “I like this way after all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t long before they saw light up ahead – but more like normal electric lighting from the looks of it. Not torches or candles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There,” Rachel said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Annabeth followed her into a stainless-steel hallway, like one might see in a submarine. Fluorescent lights glowed from the ceiling. The floor was a metal grate. They’d been in such darkness for so long that Percy had to squint for a way, blinking those annoying little floatier-things out of his vision. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This way,” Rachel said, beginning to run. “We’re close!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is so wrong!” Annabeth complained. “The workshop should be in the oldest section of the maze. This can’t –” She faltered, because run into a set of metal doors. Inscribed in the steel at eye level was a large blue Greek Δ. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re here,” Rachel announced. “Daedalus’s workshop.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth pressed the symbol on the doors and they hissed open. They walked inside, and the first thing to catch Percy’s eye was the daylight. Bright and blazing through the giant windows all around, even brighter than the fluorescent lighting they’d just walked away from. It gave him a headache, and felt very out of place for a maze supposedly underground. But he supposed Daedalus had spent so much time locked underground without sunlight that he never wanted to be  away from it again.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The workshop itself was more like an artist’s studio, with ten-metre ceilings and industrial lighting, polished stone floors and workbenches. A spiral staircase led up to a second-storey loft. Half a dozen easels displayed hand-drawn diagrams for buildings and machines that looked like Leonardo da Vinci sketches. Several laptop computers were scattered around on the tables. Glass jars of green oil - Greek fire - lined one shelf. There were inventions, too – weird metal machines Percy didn’t care to study too closely. One was a bronze chair with a bunch of electrical wires attached to it, like ye olde electric chair. In another corner stood a giant metal egg about the size of a man. There was a grandfather clock that appeared to be made entirely of glass, so you could see all the gears turning. And hanging on the wall were several sets of bronze and silver wings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Di immortales,” Annabeth muttered. She ran to the nearest easel and looked at the sketch. “He’s a genius. Look at the curves on this building!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And an artist,” Rachel said in amazement. “These wings are amazing!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Percy knew those wings were no art pieces. They were continuously evolved versions of the greatest failure the old man had ever experienced. A testament to his resolve to never fail again, Percy felt oddly sympathetic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He kept a hand in his pocket on Riptide, though, mostly for comfort. Clearly if Daedalus was actually gone, he hadn’t been for long. The laptops were running their screensavers. A half eaten blueberry muffin and a coffee cup sat on a workbench. He stepped up to the windows, looking out at the Rocky Mountains in the distance. They were high up in the foothills, at least one hundred and fifty metres, and, down below, a valley spread out, filled with a tumbled collection of red mesas and boulders and spires of stone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Colorado springs,” he said to himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Garden of the Gods,” a voice chimed in, that definitely wasn't Annabeth or Rachel’s.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Standing on the spiral staircase above with his weapon drawn, was Quintus. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Annabeth said. “What have you done with Daedalus?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mand smiled faintly. “Trust me, my dear. You don’t want to meet him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, Mr Traitor,” she growled, “I didn’t fight a dragon woman and a three-bodied man and a psychotic Sphinx to see you. Now, where is DAEDALUS?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quintus came down the stairs, holding his sword at his side. He was dressed in jeans and boots and his counselor’s T-shirt from Camp Half-Blood, which was a bit funny to Percy. A man thousands of years old, with knowledge and skill beyond comprehension to most, wearing summer camp clothes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think I’m an agent of Kronos,” he said. “That I work for Luke.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, duh,” Annabeth said, just as Percy chimed in: “Not particularly.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked between the two of them with an odd expression on his face, and Annabeth looked at him like she had a million questions. Apparently, Quintus decided to address Annabeth, which was just fine by him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re an intelligent girl,” he said. “But you’re wrong. I work only for myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But - you were working with Geryon! Those scorpions - you got them from his ranch!” Annabeth protested, stubbornly refusing to listen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve worked with all sorts of people,” he said. “One often has to, if they travel enough. And I’ve been almost everywhere. Even here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He walked past Percy like he was no threat at all and stood by the window. “The view changes from day to day,” he mused. “It’s always some place high up. Yesterday it was from a skyscraper overlooking Manhattan. The day before that, there was a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. But it keeps coming back to the Garden of the Gods. I think the Labyrinth likes it here. A fitting name, I suppose.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For the garden or the maze?” Percy asked idly. Quintus regarded him, but didn’t answer. He supposed that meant it could be either-or. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enough of this!” Annabeth demanded. “Where is Daedalus.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dear, you must see it by now. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>Daedalus.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked like she had no idea how to respond to that, but Rachel piped up to fill the silence. “But aren’t you supposed to be like thousands of years old? You look like you could be my dad.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy glanced over to her. “He’s an automaton. The body’s fake, all that’s left is his mind.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy,” Annabeth finally said, “that’s not possible. That – that can’t be an automaton.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quintus chuckled. “Do you know what Quintus means, my dear?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The fifth, in Latin. But –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is my fifth body.” The swordsman held out his forearm. He pressed his elbow and part of his wrist popped open – a rectangular hatch in his skin. Underneath, bronze gears whirred. Wires glowed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy snorted. On the inside, of course, because it’d be kind of awkward explaining why he thought it was so funny that Daedalus might have called himself Unus, Duo, Tribbus and Quattor in his other bodies. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s amazing!” Rachel said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You found a way to transfer your animus into a machine?” Annabeth said. “That’s… not natural.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I assure you, my dear, it’s still me. I’m still very much Daedalus. Our mother, Athena, makes sure I never forget that.” He tugged back the collar of his shirt. At the base of his neck was the mark of a bird, grafted to his skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A murderer’s brand,” Annabeth said. “For your nephew, Perdix.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quintus’s face darkened. “I did nothing to that boy. I simply-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Made him lose his balance,” Percy smiled gently, to hold back the myriad of other expressions he wanted to make. “And let him die, because you feared being replaced.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quintus gazed out of the windows at the purple mountains. “I regret what I did, Percy. I was angry and bitter. But I cannot take it back, and Athena never lets me forget. As Perdix died, she turned him into a small bird – a partridge. She branded the bird’s shape on my neck as a reminder. No matter what body I take, the brand appears on my skin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was then that Percy really saw the age in that man’s eyes. The endless years of life, good and bad. He wondered if he’d accepted the offer of immortality from the gods, would he have ended up the same at some point? Not a genius inventor, but someone capable of the same apathy Daedalus was able to exude. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But why did you come to the camp? Why spy on us?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To see if your camp was worth saving. Luke had given me one story. I preferred to come to my own conclusions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you have talked to Luke.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yes. Several times. He is quite persuasive.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But now you’ve seen the camp!’ she persisted. “So you know we need your help. You can’t let Luke through the maze!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daedalus set his sword on the workbench. “The maze is no longer mine to control, Annabeth. I created it, yes. In fact, it is tied to my life force. But I have allowed it to live and grow on its own. That is the price I paid for privacy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Privacy from what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The gods,” he said. “And death. I have been alive for two millennia, my dear, hiding from death.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s impossible to hide from Hades and his furies forever,” Percy said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps not for eternity,” the man conceded. “But they do not know everything. They do not see everything. You have encountered them Percy, you know this is true. A clever man can hide quite a long time, and I have buried myself very deep. Only my greatest enemy has kept after me, and even him I have thwarted.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Minos.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daedalus nodded. “He hunts for me relentlessly. Now that he is a judge of the dead, he would like nothing better than for me to come before him so he can punish me for my crimes. After the daughters of Cocalus killed him, Minos’s ghost began torturing me in my dreams. He promised that he would hunt me down. I did the only thing I could. I retreated from the world completely. I descended into my Labyrinth. I decided this would be my ultimate accomplishment: I would cheat death.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you did,” Annabeth marvelled, “for two thousand years.” She sounded kind of impressed, and who wouldn’t?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just then a loud bark echoed from the corridor. Percy heard the ba-BUMP, ba-BUMP, ba-BUMP of huge paws, and Mrs O’Leary bounded into the workshop. She licked his face once, then almost knocked Daedalus over with an enthusiastic leap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is my old friend!” Daedalus said, scratching Mrs O’Leary behind the ears. “My only companion all these long lonely years.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That drew Percy’s attention to his pants pocket. He’d never actually used the whistle, as far as he could remember, and when he actually paid attention to it, he could still feel the freezing cold metal in his left pocket. It’d be too awkward to reach for it now, but he wondered if Daedalus knew he hadn’t touched it anyways. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe the man could read his thoughts, because he turned to Percy then. “You have a good heart, Percy,” he said. “I honestly gave you that gift because I wanted to help you. Perhaps I – I felt guilty, as well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guilty about what?” Rachel asked, looking slightly suspicious. Smart girl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That your quest would be in vain.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Annabeth said. “But you can still help us. You have to! Give us Ariadne’s string so Luke can’t get it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes… the string. I told Luke that the eyes of a clear-sighted mortal are the best guide, but he did not trust me. He was so focused on the idea of a magic item. And the string works. It’s not as accurate as your mortal friend here, perhaps. But good enough. Good enough.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where is it?” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“With Luke,” Daedalus said sadly. “I’m sorry, my dear. But you are several hours too late.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy sighed. He could lie and pretend that he’d honestly thought they were ahead of schedule, but he knew this would happen. Granted, he hadn’t remembered until after his fight with Antaeus, when he was too physically drained to do anything but to lay there and think while Annabeth kept watch. But in truth, he was just resigned to his fate. Whether or not they made it through the Labyrinth, Percy doubted anything was going to stop Kronos from rising. He had heard the prophecy when Annabeth spoke it. It was the same, down to the last word, and even if she’d refused to say it, Percy knew the last line was exactly as he remembered it, too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kronos promised me freedom,” Quintus said. “Once Hades is overthrown, he will set me over the Underworld. I will reclaim my son Icarus. I will make things right with poor young Perdix. I will see Minos’s soul cast into Tartarus, where it cannot bother me again. And I will no longer have to run from death.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s your brilliant idea?” Annabeth yelled. “You’re going to let Luke destroy our camp, kill hundreds of demigods and then attack Olympus? You’re going to bring down the entire world so you can get what you want?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your cause is doomed, my dear. I saw that as soon as I began to work at your camp. There is no way you can hold back the might of Kronos.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not true!” she cried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am doing what I must, my dear. The offer was too sweet to refuse. I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth pushed over an easel. Architectural drawings scattered across the floor. “I used to respect you. You were my hero! You – you built amazing things. You solved problems. Now… I don’t know what you are. Children of Athena are supposed to be wise, not just clever. Maybe you are just a machine. You should have died two thousand years ago.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead of getting mad, Daedalus hung his head. “You should go warn your camp. Now that Luke has the string –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly Mrs O’Leary pricked up her ears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Someone’s coming!” Rachel warned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The doors of the workshop burst open, and Nico was pushed inside, his hands in chains. He looked… awful, was the only way to put it. Like he’d been missing for weeks instead of a day or two. And knowing the Labyrinth, that could very well be true. His clothes were tattered and bloody, his hair was a mess, and he was almost more pale than the ghost that came in behind him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kelli and two Laistrygonians marched in behind him, followed by Minos. He looked barely there, like most of the ghosts Nico had managed to summon so far, but being in the presence of his greatest enemy seemed to give him strength. He fixed his gaze on Daedalus, while Percy tried to figure out what the hell had happened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There you are, my old friend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daedalus’s jaw clenched. He looked at Kelli. “What is the meaning of this?’”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luke sends his compliments,” Kelli said. “He thought you might like to see your old employer, Minos.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This was not part of our agreement,” Daedalus said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No indeed,” Kelli said. “But we already have what we want from you, and we have other agreements to honour. Minos required something else from us, in order to turn over this fine young demigod.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She ran a finger under Nico’s chin. “He’ll be quite useful. And all Minos asked in return was your head, old man.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daedalus paled. “Treachery.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get used to it,” Kelli said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico,” Percy called out. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded morosely. “I – I’m sorry, Percy. I just wanted to help. I thought - the ghosts could see past the walls for me, and I could find Daedalus on my own. But he led me to </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span> instead.” The last part he practically growled, looking like he would gladly kill the spectre if he could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” he assured his friend. “You tried your best.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>You were an absolute idiot, but if no one forgave me for all the stupid things I did when I was </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>twice </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>your age, I wouldn’t have any friends left. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Luke?” Annabeth demanded. “Why isn’t he here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The empousa smiled, like they were all sharing some sort of inside joke. “Luke is… busy. He is preparing for the assault. But don’t worry. We have more friends on the way. And in the meantime, I think I’ll have a wonderful snack!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her hands changed to claws. Her hair burst into flame and her legs turned to their true form – one donkey leg, one bronze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy,” Rachel whispered, “the wings. Do you think-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hades no. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go get them,” he said. “I’ll buy you some time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, he and Annabeth charged Kelli. The giants came right at Daedalus, but Mrs O’Leary leaped to his defence. Nico got pushed to the ground and struggled with his chains while the spirit of Minos wailed, “Kill the inventor! Kill him!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel grabbed the wings off the wall. Nobody paid her any attention. Kelli slashed at Annabeth, and when they tried to retaliate she did everything she could to be absolutely infuriating. Turning over tables, ducking behind inventions, leading them around the room and leaving a trail of destruction. Mrs. O’Leary was having fun chomping one of the giants, and Daedalus grabbed for his sword, but the second giant smashed the workbench with his fist, and the sword went flying. A clay jar of Greek fire broke on the floor and began to burn, green flames spreading quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To me!” Minos cried. “Spirits of the dead!” He raised his ghostly hands and the air began to hum. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” Nico cried. He was on his feet now. He’d managed to remove his shackles, but looked dead on his feet (haha). Clearly however Minos was managing to keep himself around, he was using Nico’s energy to do it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You do not control me, young fool,” Minos sneered. “All this time, I have been controlling you! I have brought you to your precious friends, and now it is time to take what I am owed!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Spirits began to appear around Minos – shimmering forms that slowly multiplied, solidifying into Cretan soldiers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am the son of Hades,” Nico insisted. “Leave!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minos laughed. “You have no power over me. I am the lord of spirits! The ghost king!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.” Nico dropped to one knee, slamming his palms flat on the ground. A fissure appeared, and split wider and wider like Moses parting the sea. “I am.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Never!” Minos’s form rippled. “I will not–”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ground rumbled. The windows cracked and shattered to pieces, letting in a blast of fresh air. The fissure continued to spread, and Minos and all his spirits were sucked into the void with a horrible wail. Percy wanted to celebrate, but Kelli was upon him before he could say a word. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pounced on him, and he couldn’t raise Riptide quickly enough to defend himself, His sword was knocked away from him, clattering to the floor and skidding away. He fell back and slammed his side into a workbench, lighting his barely-healed injuries ablaze with pain. His vision went blurry as he sat hard on the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kelli laughed. “You will taste wonderful!” She bared her fangs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then suddenly her body went rigid. Her red eyes widened. She gasped, “No… school… spirit…” And Annabeth took her knife out of the empousa’s back. With an awful screech, Kelli dissolved into sulphur. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth helped him up. He could barely stand straight with the agony he felt in his spine, but there wasn’t time to recover. Mrs O’Leary and Daedalus were still locked in combat with the giants, and the shouting of dozens more monsters was coming towards them from the tunnel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“C’mon!” Rachel urged them. She’d already fitted herself with wings and was working on Nico, who looked awful after his struggle with Minos. The wings grafted instantly to his back and arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now you!” she told Percy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In seconds, all of them were fitted with their own coppery wings. He felt a little bit awkward at first, but it seemed like only having half an arm to attach to wasn’t going to me a problem, but he had concerns about balancing once they were in the air. The greek fire continued to blaze, filling most of the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daedalus!” Percy yelled, more to make himself better at this point. “You need to hurry!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was cut in a hundred places – but he was bleeding golden oil instead of blood. He’d found his sword and was using part of a smashed table as a shield against the giants. “I won’t leave Mrs O’Leary!” he said. “Go!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no arguing on this. At least he could comfort himself with the idea that if Mrs. O’Leary didn’t want to leave, a little fire wasn’t going to kill her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“None of us know how to fly!” Nico protested. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well then it’s the perfect time to find out,” he said. “Just make sure to pray to Uncle Zeus and beg him not to kill us, yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And together the four of them jumped out of the window and into the open sky.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ngl... there's a pretty big chunk of this chapter that I lost because of bad internet, and then immediately forgot half of it. It wasn't anything special, just a little added flavor, but I'm so mad that I lost it :|</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Percy did his absolute best not to repeat Icarus’s mistake, and didn’t try to fly - just glide. Granted, he didn’t think anything he did would make falling from a building five-hundred feet in the air any more pleasant. He was also distinctly aware that he shouldn’t be here, that he would feel much more comfortable a couple of miles </span>
  <em>
    <span>below </span>
  </em>
  <span>sea level, as a matter of fact. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>a pretty nice view. And with his friends spiralling above him in their own wings, it wasn’t too bad if he didn’t think about it very hard. Behind them, smoke continued to plume from Daedalus’s workshop.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Land!” Annabeth yelled to them. “These wings won’t last forever.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How long?” Rachel cried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to find out!” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They swooped down towards the Garden of the Gods. It was slightly more terrifying trying to head towards the ground instead of letting the wind carry them further up, but hopefully they wouldn’t all become pancakes today. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually the four of them soared across the valley, over a road, and landed on the terrace of the visitor centre. It was late afternoon and the place looked pretty empty, but they still ripped off their wings as quickly as possible. Taking a closer look, Percy could see the self-adhesive strips were, indeed, coming apart and shedding feathers. It seemed a shame, but there was nothing else they could do with them, so the adventurers stuffed their wings in the bin outside the cafeteria. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tried to use the tourist binoculars to look up at where the workshop had been, but it had already vanished. No more smoke. No broken windows. Just the side of a hill. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The workshop moved,” Annabeth guessed. “There’s no telling where.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what do we do now?” Nico asked. “How do we get back in?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth gazed at the summit of Pikes Peak in the distance. “Maybe we can’t. If Daedalus died… he said his life force was tied to the Labyrinth. The whole thing might’ve been destroyed. Maybe that will stop Luke’s invasion.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That didn’t sound right to Percy, though. Of course, he knew that the son of Athena would have to make his final stand… but not yet. Not right now. Because Tyson and Grover were still in the Labyrinth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Nico said suddenly. “He isn’t dead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How can you know?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He made a face, trying to put it into words. “I just… know. I think I’d know if he was dead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Death Sense. Percy didn’t want to know if the kid had felt anyone die yet, but he didn’t disagree that the kid would probably know when a soul like Daedalus passed on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, either way… we have to get into town,” Annabeth decided. “Our chances of finding an entrance to the Labyrinth will be better. We have to make it back to camp before Luke and his army.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could just take a plane,” Rachel said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy grinned self-deprecating. “One, with what money? And two, I don’t fly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you just did.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“That</span> <span>was less than a mile in the sky. Any higher and Zeus probably would’ve killed me </span><em><span>and </span></em><span>Nico. We’re… well let’s just say we are the absolute last half-bloods on earth who should be in the sky.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we need a car to take us into the city,” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel looked down into the parking lot. She grimaced, as if she were about to do something she’d regret. “I’ll take care of it.” Percy felt sorry for making her do this for them - but sometimes you have to do things you don’t like for the sake of the group. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just trust me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth looked uneasy, but she nodded. “Okay, I’m going to buy a prism in the gift shop, try to make a rainbow and send an Iris-message to camp.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go with you,” Nico said. “I’m hungry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy knew Rachel wouldn’t want anyone around to see how she’d procure a ride, so he opted to follow his other friends inside. He could go for a snack too, even if it was over-priced chips or cookies from the gift shop. Rachel seemed relieved when no one followed her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inside the gift shop, it occurred to him that they must look like quite the picture, if the look on the cashier’s face was anything to go by. Annabeth was largely uninjured but still dirty and a bit scuffed up, but Nico looked like he’d come out the other side of a wood-chipper after donating two pints of blood. Percy briefly caught his reflection in a little glass bauble,and he didn’t look much better. He knew he was walking a bit hunched to relieve the pain in his back, but it really pulled together the ‘homeless child’ look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was glad that even if they didn’t have the kind of cash for four plane tickets, they did have some crumpled bills in their bags - emergency Quest money. He and Nico each grabbed a coke and a mini-tube of pringles, and a few sticks of jerky to share with the girls. If he looked hard enough, he was sure he could find a square or two of ambrosia in his bag too, and he resolved to do so when they got outside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were out in six minutes, tops, Annabeth with a little prism in her hand and looking pleased with herself, and he and Nico stuffing their faces happily. While she went off to make a call to Chiron, the boys met Rachel out in the parking lot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was standing uncomfortably by a chauffeured Lexus, parked at the end of the lot. The driver, wearing a dark suit and tie, was scrambling to get the car started and kept glancing out the side of the window to look at Rachel. When they walked over, she pointed at them and said something, and the driver nodded - yes ma’am style. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A minute later Annabeth emerged from wherever she’d made the iris-message. “I talked to Chiron,” she said. “They’re doing their best to prepare for battle, but he still wants us back. They’re going to need every hero they can get. Did we find a ride?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The driver’s ready when we are,” Rachel said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The chauffeur was now talking to some guy in khakis and a polo shirt, probably his client who’d rented the car. The client was complaining, but Percy could hear the driver saying, “I’m sorry, sir. Emergency. I’ve ordered another car for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” Rachel said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She led them to the car and got in without even looking at the annoyed guy who’d rented it. A minute later they were cruising down the road. The seats were leather, and there was plenty of legroom. The back seat had flat-panel TVs built into the headrests and a mini-fridge stocked with bottled water, drinks and snacks. Annabeth went so far as to dig out a clean shir from her bag and carefully wet it with a water-bottle so she could clean her face. Percy wanted to do the same, but he wouldn’t be able to do anything so delicate with one hand, so he focused more on his food. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where to, Miss Dare?” the driver asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure yet, Robert,” she said. “We just need to drive through town and, uh, look around.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever you say, miss.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico finished off his pringles and turned to Rachel curiously. “Do you know him?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But then why did he just agree to drive us wherever?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just keep your eyes peeled,” she said. “We need to keep looking.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They drove through Colorado Springs for about half an hour and saw nothing that Rachel considered a possible Labyrinth entrance. It was fairly quiet, but they all seemed to be taking the time to rest as much as they could. After about an hour they decided to head north towards Denver, thinking that maybe a bigger city would be more likely to have a Labyrinth entrance, but they were all growing more uneasy. Time was running out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, right as they were leaving Colorado Springs, Rachel sat bolt upright. “Get off the highway!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The driver glanced back. “Miss?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I saw something, I think. Get off here.” The driver swerved across traffic and took the exit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What did you see?” Annabeth asked, because they were pretty much out of the city now. There wasn’t anything around except hills, grassland and some scattered farm buildings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel had the driver turn down an unassuming dirt road. They drove by a sign that none of the dyslexics in the car could hope to read in the split second they could see it, but Rachel said, “Western Museum of Mining and Industry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For a museum, it didn’t look like much – a little house like an old-fashioned railroad station, some drills and pumps and old steam shovels on display outside, but Percy felt a sense of deja vu looking at it. This was definitely the right place, even if he could see any glowing paths on the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There.” Rachel pointed to a hole in the side of a nearby hill – a tunnel that was boarded up and chained. “An old mine entrance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A door to the Labyrinth?” Annabeth asked. “How can you be sure?” Percy had no idea how wise girl could still be doubting Rachel at this point, but maybe she was just asking more out of habit by now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, look at it!” Rachel said. “I mean… I can see it, okay?” She thanked the driver and we all got out. He didn’t ask for money or anything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you’ll be alright, Miss Dare? I’d be happy to call your –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” Rachel said. “No, really. Thanks, Robert. But we’re fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The museum seemed to be closed, so nobody bothered their little group as they climbed the hill to the mine shaft. When the four of them got to the entrance, he saw the mark of Daedalus engraved on the padlock, and Percy wondered if Rachel had seen the mark, or some other sign from so far away. He touched the padlock and the chains fell away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had to kick down a few boards to get inside, but then they were in. For better or worse, they had made it back into the Labyrinth. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The dirt tunnels turned to stone. They wound around and split off and basically tried to confuse them but Rachel had no issue navigating. She didn’t even hesitate whenever they were faced with a crossroads.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Surprisingly enough, Rachel and Annabeth started up a conversation as they walked. Annabeth asked her more about her background, but Rachel was evasive so they started talking about architecture. Rachel knew quite a bit from her art studies, and Percy was glad to see them getting along even if it was because of a topic he didn’t have much interest in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m really glad you’re okay, Nico,” he said, after letting the girls trail a few meters ahead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kid looked unsure of what to say. “I’m sorry,” is what he eventually landed on. “For going by myself. I really thought I could do it, Percy…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckled. “I know. We all think we can do everything at first. You just need to learn to trust the judgment of your friends sometimes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy paused when the kid looked so chastised at that, so he made sure to clarify. “I said </span>
  <em>
    <span>sometimes. </span>
  </em>
  <span>There will be times when others are wrong - even everyone. And it’s usually the people who are in charge of things. So don’t be afraid to question certain decisions, but make sure you ask the right questions. Okay? You did what you thought was best, but you did it because you were angry, and didn’t stop to think about </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>we wanted you to hang back.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry, I just- I just wanted to make you proud. I wanted to show everyone that I could </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>something when it mattered. Not just train for it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, don’t count yourself out just yet,” he said, ruffling the kid’s hair. “You’ll have plenty of opportunities to prove yourself soon enough. I believe in you Nico - and do you wanna know a secret?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked up at Percy and nodded eagerly - even with his father’s intense, darkly cunning eyes, he managed to look so innocent at times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pulling his friend closer by the shoulder, he leaned in to whisper, “I’m already proud of you,” before standing up and walking a little faster to catch up with the girls - not giving Nico any time to respond. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While he wasn’t paying great attention to what was ahead of him as he walked forward, he bumped right into Rachel’s back. They’d come to a crossroads. The tunnel continued straight ahead, but a side tunnel T’d off to the right – a circular shaft carved from black volcanic rock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s up?” he asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel stared down the dark tunnel. In the dim flashlight beam, her face looked like one of Nico’s spectres. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that the way?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Rachel said nervously. “Not at all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then let’s just go the other way,” Percy said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listen,” she said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tilting his head and straining his ears, he heard wind coming down the tunnel, as if the exit were close. He didn’t hear anything, but he smelled something uncomfortably familiar - minty, and slightly sweet - Eucalyptus trees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s something evil down that tunnel,” Rachel said. “Something very powerful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It smells how black licorice tastes,” Nico muttered with his face twisted in a look of disgust. This didn’t reassure Percy at all, either - since he clearly wasn’t referring to the Eucalyptus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Luke’s entrance,” Annabethguessed. “The one to Mount Othrys – the Titans’ palace.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, mind you, Percy had absolutely no desire to go down that tunnel one bit - in fact, it was just about the last thing in the world he wanted to do. Because he knew what lay down that tunnel - pain and misery, and maybe five seconds of grief if he could manage to feel something at seeing Luke’s possessed corpse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So his heart felt quite light as he turned away from the tunnel and took the other route. He was not in the mood to face the Titan Lord - or Ethan, for that matter. At best he’d be risking himself and his friends for information that he already had, and frankly if the gods and Chiron couldn’t feel when Kronos himself rose,  he might just go slam his head into a wall for a week. Percy just wanted to find his brother and best friend right now, thank you very much.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a moment, he heard his friends following him quietly. Percy could understand the curiosity - or maybe they were just nervous. But he wasn’t letting any of them go down that path. Really, the only reason he slowed down after a few minutes was to let Rachel take the lead once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not even gonna check it out?” Nico asked, when he was walking side by side with Percy again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But Annabeth still has her invisibility hat! She could’ve-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that was that, really. The kid tried to protest a bit more, but Percy wouldn’t take any arguments. Besides, he didn’t doubt that even if they did go back, that path would be closed off and a hundred miles away by now. Annabeth and Rachel hesitantly tried to strike up conversation amongst themselves again, but the air still felt tense. Unresolved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Distantly, Percy felt a vibration in his shoes, and unconsciously shivered. Then, their entire world shook, and the Labyrinth moved around them. The last thing he could see before they were plunged into darkness was loose earth shaking from the ceiling, and the ground giving way underneath them. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy didn’t have much experience with falling down hills, but he knew the general sensation of being sent flying, then rolling over the ground for a few meters. So he knew when the floor gave out, that they didn't fall in a straight drop, because he landed on a slope and couldn’t catch himself before rolling maybe six feet and falling again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first one to find their bearings and grab a flashlight was Annabeth, who shined the light over all of them to make sure no one was dead, before casting the beam skyward. The ceiling was already closing over them, forming wooden framework and leaving the room they were in looking a bit like a mineshaft.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyone break anything? I think I bruised my everywhere,” he called out. If anyone so much as twisted an ankle they’d be hard-pressed to make the progress they needed to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m… alive?” Rachel groaned, sitting up and brushing the hair out of her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico was laying face-down, and seemed happy right where he was, but raised a hand to give a thumbs-up. He decided to take that as the kid was okay, not a confirmation of broken bones. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth was already standing and checking out their surroundings - supposedly looking for exits. For all he could see, there was only one off to the left. As soon as they were all up and moving, Rachel led them down through the one way out - though she didn’t look too worried about their new predicament. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The light’s just as bright down here,” was her explanation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So this must still be the right way,” Annabeth nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were a lot less twists and turns on this path, and even when the tunnel did bend, it only went in one direction when it turned. Percy wanted to be grateful, but honestly it was just unnerving; it felt like they were being led somewhere. But there weren’t any traps, and the vaguely forrest-like scent coming from… somewhere was kind of relaxing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And almost as soon as he thought that, Annabeth stopped dead and he had to grab Nico by the back of his shirt to keep his friend from bowling right into her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At first he tried to look for what had caused her to stop, since Rachel only looked confused and had stopped a few feet ahead. There was nothing forward, and nothing up, so he cast his eyes down....</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To see a dirty, red rasta cap. The exact same one Grover wore. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Said hat looked like it’d been trampled by a muddy boot, which didn’t give a whole lot of information. Annabeth was already bending down to scoop it up, and from the look on her face she was trying to stay positive - but Percy knew what it looked like. And while an abandoned hat didn’t mean much in terms of if he was alive or not, it did mean that whatever he was running from already knew he was a satyr, or was scary enough that he didn’t care if it knew. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now that he was looking closely, Percy could pick out some footprints in the ground: large ones, like a young cyclops, and what a goat’s tracks would look like if it only had two feet. Tyson and Grover had been here, and the prints continued down the tunnel and around a bend a few meters ahead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s keep going. They had to have been here recently,” he said, marching forward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Since there weren’t any immediate crossroads to choose from, that’s exactly what they did. The tunnel started to slope at weird angles and randomly get wider or so thin that they could only move single-file. Eventually they all squeezed through one of these smaller openings and into a huge cave with stalagmite columns all around. Through the centre of the room ran an underground river, and Tyson was sitting by the bank, cradling Grover in his lap. Grover’s eyes were closed. He wasn’t moving. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tyson!” Percy called.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy! Come quick!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They ran over to him. Grover wasn’t dead, but his whole body trembled like he was freezing to death. The only other time Percy saw him unconscious like this was when he’e been close to Pan, last winter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Annabeth asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So many things,” his brother murmured. “Large snake. Large dogs. Men with swords. But then… we got close to here. Grover was excited. He ran. Then we reached this room, and he fell. Like this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did he say anything?” Percy asked, checking the satyr’s forehead - not quite a fever, but way warmer than he should be, for all that he was shivering. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He said, ‘We’re close.’ Then he hit his head on rocks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“G-man, wake up,” Percy said, shaking his friend by the shoulder. The only response he got was a long groan, until Annabeth knelt next to him and splashed icy cold river water in his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Splurg!” His eyelids fluttered. “Percy? Annabeth? Where…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” he said. “You passed out. The presence was probably too much.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I – I remember. Pan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Percy nodded. “There’s something pretty powerful coming from over there,” he gestured to a doorway down the river. He may not be great at sensing auras overall, but he knows the smell of the god of the wild; It reminded him of Grover. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They made some quick introductions, since Grover and Tyson hadn’t met Rachel yet. Tyson told Rachel she was pretty, which made Annabeth's nostrils flare like she was going to blow fire. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, let’s move,” Percy insisted, helping his friend up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Annabeth helped support him as they walked along the river, eventually having to wade through to reach the doorway. The water made him feel a lot better as it reached as high as his waist, but it was cold and he knew it’d make everyone miserable. (Especially Nico - as the shortest of the group it nearly reached his chest.) So with the boost of adrenaline he felt with the waves gently splashing against him, he willed the water to part around his friends; which had the added bonus of making it much quicker to cross. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we’re in Carlsbad Caverns,” Annabeth said. “Maybe an unexplored section.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The six of them got out of the water and kept walking. As the crystal pillars loomed larger, Percy could feel the presence get much stronger. The very essence of life surrounded them. His weariness seemed to melt away, and the scent of pine and fresh flowers was nearly overpowering. Grover whimpered with excitement, but the rest were too stunned to say anything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they stepped into the cave, Rachel gasped, “Oh, wow.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The walls glittered with crystals - red, green and blue. In the strange light, beautiful plants grew - giant orchids, star-shaped flowers, vines bursting with orange and purple berries that crept among the crystals. The cave floor was covered with soft green moss. Overhead, the ceiling was higher than a cathedral, sparkling like a galaxy of stars. In the centre of the cave stood a Roman-style bed, gilded wood shaped like a curly U, with velvet cushions. Animals lounged around it – but they were animals that shouldn’t have been alive. There was a dodo bird, something that resembled a cross between a wolf and a tiger, a huge rodent like the mother of all guinea pigs and, roaming behind the bed, picking berries with its trunk, was a woolly mammoth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the bed lay an old satyr. He watched as the party approached, his eyes as blue as the sky. His curly hair was white and so was his pointed beard. Even the goat fur on his legs was frosted with grey. His horns were enormous – glossy brown and curved. Around his neck hung a set of reed pipes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover fell to his knees in front of the bed. “Lord Pan!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The god smiled kindly, but there was sadness in his eyes. “Grover, my dear, brave satyr. I have waited a very long time for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… got lost,” Grover apologized. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pan laughed. It was a wonderful sound, like the first breeze of springtime, filling the whole cavern with hope. The tiger-wolf sighed and rested his head on the god’s knee. The dodo bird pecked affectionately at the god’s hooves, making a strange sound in the back of its bill, like it was humming ‘It’s a Small World’. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still, Pan looked tired. His whole form shimmered as if he were made of Mist. Percy kneeled with his friends, thankful he wasn’t really the focus of the god’s attention. As cool as Pan was, him being one of the few deities Percy truly respected meant he was about a million times more terrifying to upset.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have a humming dodo bird,” Nico suddenly said, staring at said dodo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The god’s eyes twinkled. “Yes, that’s Dede. My little actress.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dede the dodo looked offended. She pecked at Pan’s knee and hummed something that sounded like a funeral dirge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is the most beautiful place!” Annabeth said. “It’s better than any building ever designed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you like it, dear,” Pan said. “It is one of the last wild places. My realm above is gone, I’m afraid. Only pockets remain. Tiny pieces of life. This one shall stay undisturbed… for a little longer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My lord,” Grover said, “please, you must come back with me! The Elders will never believe it! They’ll be overjoyed! You can save the wild!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pan placed his hand on Grover’s head and ruffled his curly hair. “You are so young, Grover. So good and true. I think I chose well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chose?” Grover said. “I – I don’t understand.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pan’s image flickered, momentarily turning to smoke. The giant guinea pig scuttled under the bed with a terrified squeal. The woolly mammoth grunted nervously. Dede stuck her head under her wing. Then Pan re-formed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have slept many aeons,” the god said forlornly. “My dreams have been dark. I wake fitfully, and each time my waking is shorter. Now we are near the end.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Grover cried. “But no! You’re right here!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My dear satyr,” Pan said. “I tried to tell the world, two thousand years ago. I announced it to Lysas, a satyr very much like you. He lived in Ephesos, and he tried to spread the word.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth’s eyes widened. “The old story. A sailor passing by the coast of Ephesos heard a voice crying from the shore, ‘Tell them the great god Pan is dead.’”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But that wasn’t true!” Grover said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your kind never believed it,” Pan said. “You sweet, stubborn satyrs refused to accept my passing. And I love you for that, but you only delayed the inevitable. You only prolonged my long, painful passing, my dark twilight sleep. It must end.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” Grover’s voice trembled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dear Grover,” Pan said. “You must accept the truth. Your companion, Nico, he understands.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico nodded slowly, looking uncomfortable. “I can… I can just feel it, Grover. He’s not supposed to be here. Everyone dies eventually.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy thought maybe it would be sad for any other kid Nico’s age to be so accepting of such a fact, but taking into account that he was a son of Hades, it was just practical. It wasn’t something the kid would ever be able to escape, seeing and sensing and even smelling death all around him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But gods </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>die,” Grover insisted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They can fade,” Pan said, “when everything they stood for is gone. When they cease to have power, and their sacred places disappear. The wild, my dear Grover, is so small now, so shattered, that no god can save it. My realm is gone. That is why I need you to carry a message. You must go back to the council. You must tell the satyrs, and the dryads, and the other spirits of nature, that the great god Pan is dead. Tell them of my passing. Because they must stop waiting for me to save them. I cannot. The only salvation you must make yourself. Each of you must –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stopped and frowned at the dodo bird, who had started humming again. “Dede, what are you doing?” Pan demanded. “Are you singing “Kumbaya” again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dede looked up innocently and blinked her yellow eyes. Pan sighed. “Everybody’s a cynic. But as I was saying, my dear Grover, each of you must take up my calling.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But… no!” Grover whimpered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Be strong,” Pan said. “You have found me. And now you must release me. You must carry on my spirit. It can no longer be carried by a god. It must be taken up by all of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pan looked straight at Percy with his clear blue eyes, and it was clear the god wasn’t just referring to satyrs. “Percy Jackson,” he said. “I know what you have seen and been through. I know you have doubts about yourself and others. But I promise, when the time comes, you will not be ruled by these dark thoughts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned to Annabeth. “Daughter of Athena, your time is coming. You will play a great role, though it may not be the role you imagined.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico stil looked uncomfortable when the god turned to him, but he also couldn’t hide the admiration in his eyes. Pan didn’t say anything to him, but he did nod, recognizing the son of the Lord of all things dead. To Percy, it was a pretty unexpected show of tolerance, but definitely an appreciated one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then he looked at Tyson. “Master Cyclops, do not despair. Heroes rarely live up to our expectations. But you, Tyson – your name shall live among the Cyclopes for generations. And Miss Rachel Dare…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel flinched when he said her name. She backed away like she was guilty of something, but Pan only smiled. He raised his hand in a blessing. “I know you believe you cannot make amends,” he said. “But you are just as important as your father.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I –” Rachel faltered. A tear traced her cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know you don’t believe this now,” Pan said. “But look for opportunities. They will come.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally he turned back towards Grover. “My dear satyr,” Pan said kindly. “Will you carry my message?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I – I can’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can,” Pan said. “You are the strongest and bravest. Your heart is true. You have believed in me more than anyone ever has, which is why you must bring the message, and why you must be the first to release me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” the god said. “But my name, Pan… originally it meant rustic. Did you know that? But over the years it has come to mean all. The spirit of the wild must pass to all of you now. You must tell each one you meet: if you would find Pan, take up Pan’s spirit. Remake the wild, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. You cannot wait for anyone else, even a god, to do that for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover wiped his eyes. Then slowly he stood. “I’ve spent my whole life looking for you. Now… I release you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pan smiled. “Thank you, dear satyr. My final blessing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He closed his eyes, and the god dissolved. White mist divided into wisps of energy, but it wasn’t so overpowering and scary as when he’d felt any other god or goddess’s influence. It was soft and spread over each of them, disappearing in each of them. The crystals dimmed. The animals looked very sad, and Dede the dodo sighed. Then they all turned grey and crumbled to dust. The vines withered. And they were alone in a dark cave, with an empty bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth turned on her flashlight, and Percy turned to Grover as his his best friend took a deep breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to be okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took his cap from Annabeth, brushed off the mud, and stuck it firmly on his curly head. “We should go now,” he said, “and tell them. The great god Pan is dead.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fuck you Grammerly let me spell words with unnecessary u's like it was meant to be before capitalism</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Distance was typically shorter in the Labyrinth, but by time Rachel got them back to Times Square, it still felt like they’d run several miles. As they climbed out of the Marriott basement and stood on the sidewalk in the bright summer daylight, squinting at the traffic and crowds, the real world seemed a bit overwhelming. Percy had to take a few deep breaths before he led their group into an alley to get a decent echo, before whistling five times in quick succession.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A minute later, Rachel gasped. “They’re beautiful!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A flock of pegasi descended from the sky, swooping between the skyscrapers. Blackjack was in the lead, followed by four of his white friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yo, boss!</span>
  </em>
  <span> He called out telepathically. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You lived! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure am. Listen, we need a ride back to camp - as fast as you can.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s my speciality! Oh man, you got that Cyclops with you? Yo, Guido! How’s your hack holding up? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pegasus Guido groaned and complained, but eventually he agreed to carry Tyson. Everybody started saddling up – except Rachel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” she said, “I guess this is it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded with a small smile. She couldn’t come with them - not yet. He glanced at Annabeth, who was pretending to be very busy with her pegasus. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks again,” he said. “For helping us. We couldn’t have done this without you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t have missed it. I mean, except for almost dying, and Pan…” Her voice faltered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He mentioned you felt guilty about what your father does.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel twisted the strap on her backpack. “Yeah. My dad… My dad’s job. He’s kind of a famous businessman.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy nodded, neither telling her to stop nor continue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SHe took a deep breath. “Percy… my dad’s a land developer. He flies all over the world, looking for tracts of undeveloped land. The wild. He – he buys it up. I hate it, but he ploughs it down and builds ugly subdivisions and shopping centres. And now that I’ve seen Pan… Pan’s death-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t blame yourself for something you didn’t do. Seriously, it’s a bad habit to get into.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t know the worst of it. I – I don’t like to talk about my family. I didn’t want you to know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look,” he finally said firmly. “You helped us. You could’ve died or been seriously hurt, but you chose to help us because you could. That is all I care about, because that’s what you did. I don’t care about your dad, because he’s not you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rachel looked at him gratefully. “Well… if you ever feel like hanging out with a mortal again… you could call me or something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I’m ever not in the middle of dying while I’m in New York… then sure,” he grinned.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My number’s not in the book,” she said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still on your hand? No way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, just good at memorizing stuff like that.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not phone numbers, just important things.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She chuckled. “See you later, Percy Jackson. Go save the world for me, okay?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She walked off down Seventh Avenue and disappeared into the crowds. When Percy got back to the horses, Nico was having trouble. His pegasus kept shying away from him, reluctant to let him mount. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He smells like dead people! </span>
  </em>
  <span>the pegasus complained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey now,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Blackjack said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Come on, Porkpie. Lotsa demigods smell weird. It ain’t their fault. Oh – uh, I didn’t mean you, hoss. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy sighed and walked up to Porkpie, and sent a few mental promises of extra sugar cubes when they got back. Mostly so his friends wouldn’t hear him bribing a pegasus, because that would probably look a bit silly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At last everybody got on a pegasus. They shot into the air, and soon they were over the East River, with Long Island spread out ahead. The five of them landed in the middle of the cabin area and were immediately met by Chiron, the potbellied satyr Silenus and a couple of Apollo cabin archers. Chiron raised an eyebrow when he saw Nico, but when they explained about Quintus, he didn’t seem very surprised. Neither did he raise an eyebrow when Percy explained his suspicions about Luke and Kronos, in brief whispers away from Annabeth, obviously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I feared as much,” The centaur said. “We must hurry. Hopefully you have slowed down the Titan lord, but his vanguard will still be coming through. They will be anxious for blood. Most of our defenders are already in place. Come!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait a moment,” Silenus demanded. “What of the search for Pan? You are almost three weeks overdue, Grover Underwood! Your searcher’s licence is revoked!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover took a deep breath. He stood up straight and looked Silenus in the eye. “Searchers’ licences don’t matter any more. The great god Pan is dead. He has passed on and left us his spirit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Silenus’s face turned bright red. “Sacrilege and lies! Grover Underwood, I will have you exiled for speaking thus!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s true,” Percy stepped forward, stone-faced. “We were there when he died. All of us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Impossible! You are all liars! Nature-destroyers!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron studied Grover’s face. “We will speak of this later.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We will speak of it now!” Silenus demanded. “We must deal with this –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Silenus,” Chiron cut in. “My camp is under attack. The matter of Pan has waited two thousand years. I fear it will have to wait a bit longer. Assuming we are still here this evening.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And on that happy note, he readied his bow and galloped towards the woods, leaving all of them to follow as best they could. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the biggest military operation Percy had seen at camp in quite a while. Everyone was at the clearing, dressed in full battle armour, but this time it wasn’t for capture the flag. The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth – razor wire, pits filled with pots of Greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect a charge. Beckendorf was manning two catapults the size of pickup trucks, already primed and aimed at Zeus’s Fist. The Ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in phalanx formation with Clarisse calling orders. Apollo’s and Hermes’s cabins were scattered in the woods with bows ready. Many had taken up positions in the trees. Even the dryads were armed with bows, and the satyrs trotted around with wooden cudgels and shields made of rough tree bark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth went to join her brethren from the Athena cabin, who had set up a command tent and were directing operations. A grey banner with an owl fluttered outside the tent. The security chief, Argus, stood guard at the door. Aphrodite’s children were running around, straightening everybody’s armour and offering to comb the tangles out of our horsehair plumes. Even Dionysus’s kids had found something to do. The god himself was still nowhere to be seen, but his two blond twin sons were running around, providing all the sweaty warriors with water bottles and juice boxes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It looked like a pretty good set-up, but Chiron muttered next to Percy, “It isn’t enough.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The son of Poseidon knew his counselor was right. But there was nothing to be done - this was all they could muster. There wasn’t even time for him to go find a shield, he just readied Riptide and cast his senses out for the river. It wasn’t very far, maybe a quarter mile to their west at most. But still not close enough to help in the immediate fight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Over at the edge of the clearing, Grover was talking to Juniper. She held his hands while he told her the story. Green tears formed in her eyes as he delivered the news about Pan. Tyson helped the Hephaestus kids prepare the defences. He picked up boulders and piled them next to the catapults for firing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stay with me, Percy,” Chiron said. “When the fighting begins, I want you to wait until we know what we’re dealing with. You must go where we most need reinforcements.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know. But - sir, if Kronos is leading this attack?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>End of days.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron nodded grimly. “I know, Percy. But I do not sense his presence growing near - if he has truly merged himself with Luke, I do not believe he will be fully acclimated so soon. It is a feat never seen before, even I have no idea as to the consequences of such a union.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded, but it wasn’t the most reassuring thing. Even without Kronos, all those monsters in Anteaus’s arena… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is one more thing, Percy,” Chiron said, looking at him reproachfully. “Nico di Angelo.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That made Percy grimace. He’d been trying to hide it for so long, but the moment Nico discovered his parentage, he knew it’d put them on a time limit. His powers had only grown stronger in the past few weeks, and even if the centaur hadn’t seen solid proof yet, there was no way he couldn’t feel the presence of death on his friend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Chiron.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I understand why you did it, Percy. He’s taken quite the shine to you, and you only sought to protect him. But, my boy, if we are to survive this, we must trust each other. We must…” His voice wavered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ground beneath them was trembling. Everyone in the clearing stopped what they were doing. Clarisse barked a single order: “Lock shields!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then the Titan lord’s army exploded from the Labyrinth.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy had seen battlefields before, but it was never enough to prepare you for the next one. The first thing he saw were a dozen Laistrygonian giants erupting from the ground, yelling so loudly they probably burst the eardrums of a few campers with weaker constitution. They carried shields made from flattened cars, and clubs that were tree trunks with rusty spikes bristling at the end. One of the giants bellowed at the Ares phalanx, smashed it sideways with his club, and the entire cabin was thrown aside, a dozen warriors tossed to the wind like rag dolls. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fire!” Beckendorf yelled. The catapults swung into action. Two boulders hurtled towards the giants. One deflected off a car shield with hardly a dent, but the other caught a Laistrygonian in the chest, and the giant went down. Apollo’s archers fired a volley, dozens of arrows sticking in the thick armour of the giants like porcupine quills. Several found chinks in armour, and some of the giants vaporized at the touch of celestial bronze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But just when it looked like the Laistrygonians were about to get overwhelmed, the next wave surged out of the maze: thirty, maybe forty dracaenae in full battle armour, wielding spears and nets. They dispersed in all directions. Some hit the traps the Hephaestus cabin had laid. One got stuck on the spikes and became an easy target for archers. Another triggered a trip wire, and pots of Greek fire exploded into green flames, engulfing several of the snake women; but many more kept coming. Argus and Athena’s warriors rushed forward to meet them - Annabeth drawing a sword to engage one.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nearby, Tyson was riding a giant. Somehow he’d managed to climb onto the giant’s back and was hitting him on the head with a bronze shield – BONG! BONG! BONG! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chiron calmly aimed arrow after arrow, taking down a monster with every shot. But more enemies just kept climbing out of the maze. Finally a hellhound – not Mrs O’Leary – leaped out of the tunnel and barrelled straight towards the satyrs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy charged, before Chiron could say a word. He tried to ignore the vast majority of awful things he saw as he ran, keeping his eyes focused on where he was going and exactly where he placed his feet. But some things he couldn’t tear his eyes away from - like when an enemy half-blood engaged a son of Dionysus, but it wasn’t much of a contest. The enemy stabbed him in the arm then clubbed him over the head with the butt of his sword, and Dionysus’s son went down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That pissed Percy off enough that he turned a full ninety-degrees, just to rush in and run the traitor through with Riptide. It was satisfying, but he didn’t take any more time to be distracted as he ran to the satyres to help fend off the wild hellhound. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another enemy warrior shot flaming arrows into the trees, sending some of the camp’s archers and dryads into a panic. A dozen dracaenae suddenly broke away from the main fight and slithered down the path that led towards camp, like they knew where they were going. If they got out, they could burn down the entire place, completely unopposed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The only person anywhere near was Nico. He stabbed a telekhine, and the celestial bronze disintegrated it to sulphur. Percy called out to him, and when his friend saw the snake women he nodded pointed his blade forward. The earth trembled as he said something, and a dozen undead warriors crawled up from the earth. Corpses in all sorts of military uniforms - US Revolutionaries, Roman centurions, Napoleonic cavalry on skeletal horses. As one, they drew their swords and engaged the dracaenae.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kid looked very pale and weak after pulling that move, but there was no time to go check up on him. Percy turned on the hellhound, which was now pushing the satyrs back towards the woods. The beast snapped at one satyr, who danced out of its way, but then it pounced on another who was too slow. The satyr’s tree-bark shield cracked as he fell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, Percy had an idea - as he rushed in, he stabbed his blade through the creature’s shoulder while it wasn’t looking, and reached into his pocket. His fingers closed around a freezing cold tube. Without even looking down at it, he raised the whistle to his lips and blew. Then he had to leap out of the way as another hellhound - much bigger and with less matted fur, barreled in and took the beast down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mrs. O’Leary looked to him for praise, and Percy cheered as he retrieved his sword. A few half-bloods turned to look, but they could barely get a glimpse of her as Percy sicked the hound on the rest of the Titan army. All that ‘get the Greek’ practice had clearly worked out, afterall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The satyr who’d been trampled wasn’t moving. He moved to check on them, when Grover called “Percy!” from a little ways off. A forest fire had started. Flames roared within three metres of Juniper’s tree, and Juniper and Grover were going nuts trying to save it. Grover played a rain song on his pipes. Juniper desperately tried to beat out the flames with her green shawl, but it was only making things worse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reaching deep down into his gut, Percy waited until he heard the sound of ocean waves reverberating in his skull, and a huge wall of water came crashing through the trees, effectively dousing everything for a hundred meters. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover blew a spout of water out of his flute. “Thanks, Percy!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No problem!” He ran back towards the fight, and Grover and Juniper followed. Grover had a cudgel in his hand and Juniper held a stick – like an old-fashioned whipping switch. She looked really angry, and even Percy wouldn’t want to mess with her right now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just when it seemed like the battle had balanced out again – an unearthly shriek echoed out of the Labyrinth, a sound that turned his insides to something resembling sludge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kampê shot into the sky, her bat wings fully extended. She landed on the top of Zeus’s Fist and surveyed the carnage, her face filled with evil glee. The mutant animal heads growled at her waist. Snakes hissed and swirled around her legs. In her right hand she held a glittering ball of thread – Ariadne’s string – but she popped it into a lion’s mouth at her waist and drew her curved swords. The blades glowed green with poison. Kampê screeched in triumph, and some of the campers screamed. Others tried to run and got trampled by hellhounds or giants. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Di immortales!” Chiron yelled. He quickly aimed an arrow, but Kampê seemed to sense his presence. She took flight with amazing speed, and Chiron’s arrow whizzed harmlessly past her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson untangled himself from the giant whom he’d pummelled into unconsciousness. He ran at our lines, shouting, “Stand! Do not run from her! Fight!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then a hellhound leaped on him, and Tyson and the hound went rolling away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kampê landed on the Athena command tent, smashing it flat. He ran after her, and soon found Annabeth by his side, keeping pace. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This might be it,” she said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Always could be,” he nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice fighting with you, Seaweed Brain.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Love you,” he grinned, turning away and refusing to acknowledge anything she might have to say about that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Together they leaped into the monster’s path. Kampê hissed and sliced at them - while Percy dodged, trying to distract her, Annabeth went in for a strike, but the monster was able to fight with both hands independently. She blocked Annabeth’s sword, and Annabeth had to jump back to avoid the cloud of poison. Just being near the thing was like standing in an acid fog. His eyes and lungs burned, but he brushed it off as well as he was able.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t anyone free to help, so they needed to try something else. Three of Chiron’s arrows sprouted from Kampê’s chest, but she just roared louder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now!” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely not!” Percy countered, staring at her until she begrudgingly nodded and turned to get a few more paces away with him. When he felt they were a decent distance away, he whistled for Mrs. O’Leary. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A deep howl came from halfway across the field, before a large, dark blur slammed into Kampê, bowling her over. Then, as Percy was looking for where he was needed next, something else caught his attention. A head of silvery hair fighting his way out of the Labyrinth, slashing down enemies left and right as he made his way over. Next to him was someone else – a familiar giant, much taller than the Laistrygonians, with a hundred rippling arms, each holding a huge chunk of rock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Briares!” Tyson cried in wonder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hail, little brother!” Briares bellowed. “Stand firm!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And as Mrs O’Leary leaped out of the way, the Hundred-handed One launched a volley of boulders at Kampê. The rocks seemed to enlarge as they left Briares’s hands. There were so many, it looked like half the earth had learned to fly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>BOOOOOM! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Where Kampê had stood a moment before was a mountain of boulders, almost as tall as Zeus’s Fist. The only sign that the monster had ever existed were two green sword points sticking through the cracks. A cheer went up from the campers, but their enemies weren’t done yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One of the dracaenae yelled, “Ssssslay them! Kill them all or Kronossss will flay you alive!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was, understandably, a very motivating statement. The giants surged forward in a last desperate attempt. One surprised Chiron with a glancing blow to the back legs, and he stumbled and fell. Six giants cried in glee and rushed forward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy gritted his teeth and started to move to help, when </span>
  <em>
    <span>it</span>
  </em>
  <span> happened. Grover opened his mouth, and the most horrible sound ever came out. It was like a brass trumpet magnified a thousand times – the sound of pure fear. As one, the forces of Kronos dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. The giants trampled the dracaenae, trying to get into the Labyrinth first. Telkhines and hellhounds and enemy half-bloods scrambled after them. The tunnel rumbled shut, and the battle was over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Must be nice having the powers of the guy who literally had the word ‘panic’ named after him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Percy thought with a surprised laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The clearing was quiet except for fires burning in the woods, and the cries of the wounded. Annabeth immediately rushed to Chiron, and Percy followed just behind her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you all right?” she asked. He was lying on his side, trying in vain to get up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How embarrassing,” he muttered. “I think I will be fine. Fortunately, we do not shoot centaurs with broken… Ow!… broken legs.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You need help,” Annabeth said. “I’ll get a medic from Apollo’s cabin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Chiron insisted. “There are more serious injuries to attend to. Go! I am fine. But, Grover… later we must talk about how you did that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was pretty amazing,” Percy agreed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grover blushed. “I don’t know where it came from.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Juniper hugged him fiercely. “I do!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before she could say more, Tyson called, “Percy, come quick! It is Nico!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>There was smoke curling off his black clothes. His fingers were clenched, and the grass all around his body had turned yellow and died. Percy rolled him over gently and checked his pulse - faint, but still going. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get some nectar!” he yelled. One of the Ares campers hobbled over and handed over a canteen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He trickled some into his friend’s mouth. The kid coughed and sputtered, but opened his eyes and sat up a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded weakly. “Really tired. I’ll be okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They helped him sit up and gave him some more nectar. He blinked at all of them, like he was trying to remember who the hell all these people were, when his eyes focused on someone behind Percy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daedalus,” he croaked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, my boy,” the inventor said. ‘“ made a very bad mistake. I came to correct it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daedalus had a few scratches that were bleeding golden oil, but he looked better than most of the campers. Apparently his automaton body healed itself quickly. Mrs O’Leary loomed behind him, licking the wounds on her master’s head so Daedalus’s hair stood up funny. Briares stood next to him, surrounded by a group of awed campers and satyrs. He looked kind of bashful, but he was signing autographs on armour, shields and T-shirts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I found the Hundred-handed One as I came through the maze,” Daedalus explained. “It seems he had the same idea, to come and help, but he was lost. And so we fell in together. We both came to make amends.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yay!” Tyson jumped up and down. “Briares! I knew you would come!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did not know,” the Hundred-handed One said. “But you reminded me who I am, Cyclops. You are the hero.” Tyson blushed, but Percy patted him on the back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listen, Daedalus… the Titan army is still down there. Even without the string, they’ll be back. They’ll find a way sooner or later, with Kronos leading them this time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daedalus sheathed his sword. “You are right. As long as the Labyrinth is here, your enemies can use it. Which is why the Labyrinth cannot continue.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth stared at him. “But you said the Labyrinth is tied to your life force! As long as you’re alive –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, my young architect,” Daedalus agreed. “When I die, the Labyrinth will die as well. And so I have a present for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slung a leather satchel off his back, unzipped it and produced a sleek silver laptop computer – one Percy recognized from Annabeth using it late into the night and early in the morning for work. On the lid was the blue symbol Δ. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My work is here,” he said. “It’s all I managed to save from the fire. Notes on projects I never started. Some of my favourite designs. I couldn’t develop these over the last few millennia. I did not dare reveal my work to the mortal world. But perhaps you will find them interesting.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He handed the computer to Annabeth, who stared at it like it was solid gold. “You’re giving me this? But this is priceless! This is worth… I don’t even know how much!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Small compensation for the way I have acted,” Daedalus said. “You were right, Annabeth, about children of Athena. We should be wise, and I was not. Someday you will be a greater architect than I ever was. Take my ideas and improve them. It is the least I can do before I pass on.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy was already frowning, not happy with this at all. Sure, he was fine with Daedalus choosing to die - that wasn’t his business, and the guy had already lived longer than most half-bloods could ever dream of. No, he was mad that someone had to die </span>
  <em>
    <span>after </span>
  </em>
  <span>the fight was over. Those were always the worst - whether it was someone succumbing to their injuries hours or days later, or killing themselves out of grief - it always hurt to feel like you’d won, and just keep losing anyways. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you;re just going to kill youself!?” Annabeth demanded. “That’s wrong!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Not as wrong as hiding from my crimes for two thousand years. Genius does not excuse evil, Annabeth. My time has come. I must face my punishment.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You wont get a fair trial,’” she said. “The spirit of Minos sits in judgement –”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will take what comes,” he said. “And trust in the justice of the Underworld, such as it is. That is all we can do, isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked straight at Nico, and Nico’s face darkened. “Yeah,” the kid mumbled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will you release my spirit, then son of Hades?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico sat up a bit straighter, and nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Daedalus turned towards Percy. “One last favor, Percy Jackson. I cannot leave Mrs O’Leary alone. And she has no desire to return to the Underworld. Will you care for her?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I swear it,” Percy agreed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then I am ready to see my son… and Perdix,” he said. “I must tell them how sorry I am.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth had tears in her eyes. Daedalus turned towards Nico, who slowly stood up and stepped forward, placing his hand over the man’s chest like it was completely natural, and said: “Your time has long since come. Be released and rest.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A smile of relief spread across Daedalus’s face. He froze like a statue. His skin turned transparent, revealing the bronze gears and machinery whirring inside his body. Then the statue turned to grey ash and disintegrated. Mrs O’Leary howled. Percy patted her head, trying to comfort her. The earth rumbled – an earthquake that could probably be felt in every major city across the country – as the ancient Labyrinth collapsed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Somewhere, he hoped, that all of the mistakes he’d made in that place were buried, too.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I love Mrs O'Leary, so much. Only valid character of the series.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There were too many goodbyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy had never enjoyed looking at burial shrouds, but he hates them a lot more when the outline of a body is underneath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Among the dead, Lee Fletcher from the Apollo cabin had been downed by a giant’s club. He was wrapped in a golden shroud without any decoration. Percy learned that they had also had Riley’s burial while he and his friends were down in the maze, which was just an extra blow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They spent the next day tending to the wounded who hadn’t been in critical condition, which was most people. Castor, one of Dionysus’s sons, had severe injuries and it was still unclear to anyone if he would pull through. His twin, Pollux, wasn’t taking it well. The satyrs and dryads were working to repair the woods. At noon, the Council of Cloven Elders held an emergency meeting in their sacred grove. The three senior satyrs were there, along with Chiron, who was in wheelchair form. His broken horse leg was still mending, so he would be confined to the chair for a few months, until the leg was strong enough to take his weight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The grove was filled with satyrs and dryads and naiads up from the water – hundreds of them, anxious to hear what would happen. Juniper, Annabeth and Percy stood by Grover’s side. Silenus wanted to exile Grover immediately, but Chiron persuaded him to at least hear evidence first, so they told everyone what had happened in the crystal cavern, and what Pan had said. Then several eyewitnesses from the battle described the weird sound Grover had made, which drove the Titans’ army back underground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was panic,” insisted Juniper. “Grover summoned the power of the wild god.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Preposterous!” Silenus bellowed. “Sacrilege! Perhaps the wild god favoured us with a blessing. Or perhaps Grover’s music was so awful it scared the enemy away!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That wasn’t it, sir,” Grover said. He sounded a lot calmer than Percy was feeling, but he was pretty much always a few wrong words away from decking most assholes like Silenus. “He let his spirit pass into all of us. We must act. Each of us must work to renew the wild, to protect what’s left of it. We must spread the word. Pan is dead. There is no one but us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“After two thousand years of searching, this is what you would have us believe?” Silenus cried. “Never! We must continue the search. Exile the traitor!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Some of the older satyrs muttered assent. “A vote!” Silenus demanded. “Who would believe this ridiculous young satyr, anyway?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would,” said a familiar voice. Everyone turned. Striding into the grove was Dionysus. He wore a formal black suit, a deep purple tie and violet dress shirt, his curly dark hair carefully combed. Percy couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen the god dressed so formally. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The satyrs all stood respectfully and bowed as he approached. Dionysus waved his hand, and a new chair grew out of the ground next to Silenus’s – a throne made of grapevines. Dionysus sat down and crossed his legs. He snapped his fingers and a satyr hurried forward with a plate of cheese and crackers and a Diet Coke. The god of wine looked around at the assembled crowd. “Miss me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The satyrs fell over themselves nodding and bowing. “Oh, yes, very much, sire!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I did not miss this place!” Dionysus snapped. “I bear bad news, my friends. Evil news. The minor gods are changing sides. Morpheus has gone over to the enemy. Hecate, Janus and Nemesis, as well. Zeus knows how many more.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thunder rumbled in the distance. “Strike that,” Dionysus said. “Even Zeus doesn’t know. Now, I want to hear Grover’s story. Again, from the top.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But, my lord,” Silenus protested. “It’s just nonsense!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dionysus’s eyes flared with purple fire. “I have spent </span>
  <em>
    <span>months</span>
  </em>
  <span> speaking to little arrogant godlings, pretending to care about their scruples, just for them all to decide the Titan Lord could cut them a better deal. I am not in a good mood, Silenus, you would do well to humour me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silenus gulped, and waved at Grover to start again. When Grover was done, Mr D nodded. “It sounds like just the sort of thing Pan would do. Grover is right. The search is tiresome. You must start thinking for yourselves.” He turned to a satyr. “Bring me some peeled grapes, right away!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sire!” The satyr scampered off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We must exile the traitor!” Silenus insisted. ‘</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I say no,” Dionysus countered. “That is my vote.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I vote no as well,” Chiron put in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silenus set his jaw stubbornly. “All in favour of the exile?” He and the other two old satyrs raised their hands. “Three to two,” Silenus said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, yes,” Dionysus said. “But, unfortunately for you, a god’s vote counts twice. And as I voted against, we are tied.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silenus stood, indignant. “This is an outrage! The council cannot stand at an impasse.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then let it be dissolved!” Mr D said. “I don’t care.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silenus bowed stiffly, along with his two friends, and they left the grove. About twenty satyrs went with them. The rest stood around, murmuring uncomfortably. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry,” Grover told them. “We don’t need a council to tell us what to do. We can figure it out ourselves.” He told them again the words of Pan – how they must save the wild a little at a time. He started dividing the satyrs into groups – which ones would go to the national parks, which ones would search out the last wild places, which ones would defend the parks in big cities. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Annabeth said, turning to Percy. “Grover seems to be growing up.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Later that afternoon he found Tyson at the beach, talking to Briares. Briares was building a sandcastle with about fifty of his hands. He wasn’t really paying attention to it, but his hands had constructed a three-storey compound with fortified walls, a moat and a drawbridge. Tyson was drawing a map in the sand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go left at the reef,” he told Briares. “Straight down when you see the sunken ship. Then about one mile east, past the mermaid graveyard, you will start to see fires burning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re giving him directions to the forges?” Percy asked idly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson nodded. “Briares wants to help. He will teach Cyclopes ways we have forgotten, how to make better weapons and armour.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to see Cyclopes,” Briares agreed. “I don’t want to be lonely any more.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I doubt you’ll be lonely down there,” he said, remembering all of the cyclopses he’d seen in the background of his iris-messages with his brother. “They’re going to keep you really busy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Briares’s face morphed to a happy expression. “Busy sounds good! I only wish Tyson could go, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson blushed. “I need to stay here with my brother. You will do fine, Briares. Thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Hundred-handed One shook his hand about one hundred times. “We will meet again, Percy. I know it!” Then he gave Tyson a big octopus hug and waded out into the ocean. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two watched until his enormous head disappeared under the waves. He clapped Tyson on the back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You helped him a lot, you know.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I only talked to him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You believed in him. Without Briares, we never would’ve taken down Kampê.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson grinned. “He throws good rocks!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy laughed. “Yeah. He throws really good rocks. I’ll see you at dinner, big guy.” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>When Percy visited Nico in one of the many impromptu medical tents set up (the infirmary filled up very quickly,) the kid seemed to be in good spirits. He found him talking to a familiar young blonde, who was lecturinging him about hydrating properly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckled when he noticed Nico’s face as little Will Solace walked away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? What’s funny?” his friend asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, nothing. Think you’ll be up to having dinner in the amphitheater tonight?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to, but Will won’t let me leave until tomorrow! He thinks I’m still to ‘fatigued’ or whatever - he’s so dumb.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking his head and ruffling the kid’s hair, he wished his friend goodnight and promised to sneak him some cookies later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dinner itself was a strangely normal affair. There was still an air of sadness around the cabins who’d lost comrades, but everyone was getting on alright. He and Tyson sat together at the Poseidon table, and ate in a comfortable silence. His brother was multitasking, eating with one hand while he fiddled with Percy’s prosthetic with the other - the thing was gutted entirely, and the insides would need to be redone from scratch, but the outside had held up fairly well. His brother also promised to add something to keep the metal from burning him when it got too hot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, the sunset over Long Island Sound was beautiful. Things weren’t back to normal, really, but they were getting better. There really wasn’t much to complain about. But something still felt… wrong. Percy didn’t know what, exactly, but something wasn’t sitting right, something nagging at the back of his skull the whole evening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After dinner, the campers headed towards the amphitheatre, where Apollo’s cabin promised an awesome sing-along to pick up everyone’s spirits. Percy followed along, but he was too distracted to participate much, so he eventually snuck away to go see Nico again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His friend was very happy for the chocolate-chip cookies he’d wrapped in a napkin, and they talked for a while. Not about anything important, just normal things. It was nice, and Nico pulled out a deck of Mythomagic cards for them to play a few games. At some point the kid went quiet, and Percy thought it was to figure out his next move - but after a full minute he looked up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico looked troubled. He wasn’t even trying to hide it, more like looking for a way to address whatever was concerning him. Percy let his friend collect his thoughts, and didn’t try to pry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy… kids like me, we stay at camp all year, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pretty much, yeah. Why? What’s up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I should know who my mom was though, right? I’ve tried asking Bianca, but she always avoids the question. If we don’t have a mom, then who paid for us to go to a private school? Who was that lawyer guy who got us out of the Lotus Hotel?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy frowned. “I don’t know about any of that, to be honest. But it’s not something that’d be impossible to find out, if you asked the right people.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How in the world was he supposed to say, ‘oh, your dad hid you and your sister away in a magic hotel and erased your memories because a huge war was about to happen and you would’ve totally been involved if you were around’?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But who are the right people? How am I supposed to ask anyone from here, at camp? And… Everyone knows who my dad is now. No one wants to talk about it, but they all look nervous around me. No one here would help me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chewed on that for a little while. No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one solution he could possibly provide. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...There’s somewhere else you can go. I can’t guarantee you’ll get the answers you want from there but it’s the only place I’d be comfortable sending you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And he began to describe another camp, thousands of miles away in Oakland Hills, San Francisco, where more half-bloods lived. They ended up talking for well over an hour, until WIll came and demanded Percy stop ‘bothering his patient’. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he was walking back to his cabin, with maybe half an hour to go until curfew, he passed someone leaning against a tree, drinking a diet coke. Dionysus was still wearing his black suit, and looking unnaturally composed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Walk with me,” he said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where to?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just to the campfire. I was beginning to feel better, so I thought I would talk with you a bit. You always manage to annoy me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” Percy said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We walked through the camp in silence. Percy briefly noticed that Dionysus was treading on air, his polished black shoes hovering an inch off the ground. He probably didn’t want to get them dirty. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have had many betrayals,” he eventually said. “Things are not looking good for Olympus. Yet you and Annabeth saved this camp. I’m not sure I should thank you for that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t just us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugged. “Regardless, I suppose it was mildly competent, what you two did. I thought you should know – it wasn’t a total loss.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They reached the amphitheater, and Dionysus pointed towards the campfire. Clarisse was sitting shoulder to shoulder with a big Hispanic kid who was telling her a joke. It was Chris Rodriguez, looking just fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You cured him?” Percy asked, trying not to sound too ecstatic about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Madness is my speciality. It was quite simple.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not exactly known for being the nicest guy, is all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He raised an eyebrow. “I am nice! I simply ooze niceness, Perry Johansson. Haven’t you noticed?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps I’ve been preoccupied with my son’s condition lately. Perhaps I thought this Chris boy deserved a second chance. At any rate, it seems to have improved Clarisse’s mood.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So… Why are you telling me this, again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The god sighed. “Oh, Hades if I know. But remember, boy, that a kind act can sometimes be as powerful as a sword. As a mortal, I was never a great fighter or athlete or poet. I only made wine. The people in my village laughed at me. They said I would never amount to anything. Look at me now. Sometimes small things can become very large indeed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He left Percy alone to think about that. And as he watched Clarisse and Chris singing a stupid campfire song together, holding hands in the darkness, where they thought nobody could see them, he had to chuckle a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Little things, indeed. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the summer seemed strange because it was so normal. The daily activities continued: archery, rock climbing, pegasus riding. They played capture the flag (though everyone avoided Zeus’s Fist), and sang at the campfire and raced chariots and played practical jokes on the other cabins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy spent a lot of time with Tyson, playing with Mrs O’Leary, but she would still howl at night when she got lonely for her old master. He and Annabeth sort of skirted around each other, but they could talk for a few minutes at a time without feeling too awkward. He taught Nico what he could about basic survival skills - a bit of first aid, how to deal with the most common monsters, and they did some sparring. The kid had yet to find the perfect sword for himself, but he did well enough with most of the things Percy trained him in. (Because only knowing how to fight with one weapon when it wasn’t magically attuned to return to you every time was a bad idea.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>July passed, Percy quietly celebrating on the first for a man he didn’t know yet, and with fireworks on the beach on the Fourth of July. August turned so hot the strawberries started baking in the fields. Finally, the last day of camp arrived. The standard form letter appeared on his bed after breakfast, warning  that the cleaning harpies would devour him if he stayed past noon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At ten o’clock Percy stood on the top of Half-Blood Hill, waiting for the camp van that would take him into the city. His bags were at his feet, and he was flexing the fingers of his hand experimentally - Tyson had repaired it, and supposedly used more heat-resistant materials inside this time, but he honestly couldn’t feel much difference. He’d made arrangements to leave Mrs O’Leary at camp, where Chiron promised she’d be looked after, and he and his brother could take turns visiting her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth came to see him off, but said she was going to be staying at camp a little longer until Chiron was healed and to keep studying Daedalus’s laptop, which had had her totally engrossed the last two months. Then she would head back to her father’s place in San Francisco. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s a private school out there that I’ll be going to,” she said. “I’ll probably hate it, but…” She shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Make sure to call me, alright?” he said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” she promised halfheartedly. “I’ll keep my eyes open for…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed. “Annabeth, there wasn’t anything you could’ve done. You have to realize that… sometimes people we love make decisions and we can’t do anything to stop them. Luke made his choice, and it sucks, but your life doesn’t have to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She fixed her eyes on the woods in the distance, but she didn’t say anything. For a long moment. Then, she took a deep breath and muttered something he couldn’t hear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Destroy with a hero’s final breath, And lose a love to worse than death.” She  had tears in her eyes. “That was the last line, Percy. At first I didn’t know who - I thought that maybe… I didn’t know it was going to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He put a hand on her shoulder, and tried to comfort her as best he could. It wouldn’t be easy, but she would heal from this. She would move on, eventually. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before either of them could say another word, a sparkle of light appeared next to them, like someone had opened a gold curtain in the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have nothing to apologize for, my dear.” Standing on the hill was a tall woman in a white dress, her dark hair braided over her shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hera,” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The goddess smiled. “You found the answers, as I knew you would. Your quest was a success.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A success?” Annabeth said incredulously. “Luke is gone. Daedalus is dead. Pan is dead. How is that-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Our family is safe,” Hera insisted. “Those others are better gone, my dear. I am proud of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy grit his teeth. “You’re the one who paid for our safe passage through the ranch. You didn’t give a damn about Nico, or any of us for that matter, leaving our fate in that guy’s hands - you just wanted your stupid fucking quest done.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hera shrugged. Her dress shimmered in rainbow colours. “I just wanted to make sure you made it along alright. And honestly, there’s no need for that language, dear.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hephaestus is right,” he shook his head, turning away - if he had to look at her face too long he might not be able to resist punching it. “You only care about your perfect family, not real people. But I don’t know why I’m telling you this - everyone already knows.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes turned dangerously bright. :Watch yourself, son of Poseidon. I guided you more than you know in the maze. I was at your side when you faced Geryon. I sent you to Calypso’s island. I opened the way to the Titans’ mountain. Annabeth, my dear, surely you see how I’ve helped. I would welcome a sacrifice for my efforts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Annabeth stood still as a statue. She could’ve said thank you. She could’ve promised to throw some barbecue on the brazier for Hera and forget the whole thing. But she clenched her jaw stubbornly. She looked just the way she had when she’d faced the Sphinx – like she wasn’t going to accept an easy answer, even if it got her in serious trouble. It was one of the things he loved most about her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy is right.” She turned her back on the goddess. “You’re the one who doesn’t belong, Queen Hera. So next time, thanks… but no thanks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hera’s sneer was worse than an empousa’s. Her form began to glow. “You will regret this insult, Annabeth. You will regret this very much.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He closed his eyes as the goddess turned into her true divine form and disappeared in a blaze of light. The hilltop was peaceful again. Over at the pine tree, Peleus the dragon dozed under the Golden Fleece as if nothing had happened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Annabeth told him. “I – I should get back. I’ll keep in touch.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listen, Annabeth-” He started, then Argus cut him off as he honked his horn down at the road;</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’d better get going,” Annabeth said. “Take care, Seaweed Brain.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She jogged down the hill. Frustrated, Percy called after her: “I meant what I said! When we faced Kampe!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t look back, but she did pause for a moment. Then continued on her way down to the cabins, and Percy picked up his bags to go meet Argus.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Two days later, it was his birthday. He was technically turning fifteen, but privately he was celebrating his thirtieth. It felt weird, not being old enough to drive when he might’ve… well, he wouldn’t be doing a whole lot right now, if he’d never come back. Probably drinking with a few friends, making bad decisions, hopefully not ending up in jail. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mom threw a small party at their apartment. Paul Blofis came over, and that was cool. They talked a bit about how he’d be starting at Goode next month, which was… well Percy didn’t have a whole lot of super memorable moments in highschool to be honest. Most of his great memories were in the summer months, or when he got to see Annabeth during the school year. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tyson came to the party, too, and Sally baked two extra blue cakes just for him. While Tyson helped his mom blow up party balloons, Paul Blofis asked him to help him in the kitchen. As they were pouring punch, he said, “I hear your mom signed you up for driver’s ed this fall.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep.” He did technically get his license the first time, he just never used it much. His dad did help make the chariot, so he was alright with cars, there’d just never been anywhere he couldn’t get to by walking or calling a pegasus from the top of a high building. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve had a rough summer,” Paul said, like he sensed the lack of enthusiasm in his voice. “I’m guessing you lost someone important. And… girl trouble?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy sighed. “Did my mom-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your mom hasn’t said a thing,” he held up his hands. “And I won’t pry. I just know there’s something unusual about you, Percy. You’ve got a lot going on that I can’t figure out. But I was also fifteen once, and I’m just guessing from your expression… Well, you’ve had a rough time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded. It wasn’t quite the time to tell Paul everything, but he could put a little faith in the man. “There was… an accident at camp this year. A lot of people were hurt.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. And as for girl stuff… I think it’ll be okay in the end,” he smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here.” Paul handed him some punch. “To your fifteenth birthday. And to a better year to come.” They tapped their paper cups together and drank. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy, I kind of feel bad, giving you one more thing to think about,” Paul said. “But I wanted to ask you something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Girl stuff.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your mom,” Paul said. “I’m thinking about proposing to her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy hid his mouth behind his cup for a second to hide a grin. “So, you’re asking for my blessing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Paul scratched his beard. “I don’t know if it’s permission, so much, but she’s your mother. And I know you’re going through a lot. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t talk to you about it first, man to man.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He put his cup down on the counter and pretended to look really serious for a few moments. Then he patted Paul on the shoulder and said: “Well, I don’t have anything against you. So as long as you nail that proposal, I think you’re golden.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smiled really wide then. “Cheers, Percy. Let’s join the party.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy was just getting ready to blow out the candles when the doorbell rang. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mom frowned. “Who could that could be?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a bit weird, since the building had a doorman and no one had called up or anything. His mom opened the door and gasped. It was Posiedon. He was wearing Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt and Birkenstocks, like he usually does. His black beard was neatly trimmed and his sea-green eyes twinkled. He wore a battered cap decorated with fishing lures. It said, ‘Neptune’s Lucky Fishing Hat.’ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pos–” his mom stopped herself. She was blushing right to the roots of her hair. “Um, hello.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Sally,” he said. “You look as beautiful as ever. May I come in?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mother made a squeaking sound that might’ve been either ‘yes’ or ‘help’. Poseidon took it as a yes and came in. Paul was looking back and forth between him and his mom, trying to read their expressions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally he stepped forward. “Hi, I’m Paul Blofis.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Poseidon raised his eyebrows as they shook hands. “Blowfish, did you say?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, no. Blofis, actually.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I see,” Poseidon said. “A shame. I quite like blowfish. I am Poseidon.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Poseidon? That’s an interesting name.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy felt like smacking somebody. Maybe himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I like it. I’ve gone by other names, but I do prefer Poseidon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like the god of the sea.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very much like that, yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well!” his mom interrupted. “Um, we’re so glad you could drop by. Paul, this is Percy’s father.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah.” Paul nodded, though he didn’t look very pleased. “I see.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Poseidon smiled at me. “There you are, my boy. And Tyson, hello, son!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daddy!” Tyson bounded across the room and gave Poseidon a big hug, which almost knocked off his fishing hat. Paul’s jaw dropped. He stared at Sally. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tyson is… Not mine,” she promised. “It’s a long story.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t miss Percy’s fifteenth birthday,” Poseidon said. “Why, if this were Sparta, Percy would be a man today!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s true,” Paul said. “I used to teach ancient history.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Poseidon’s eyes twinkled. “That’s me. Ancient history. Sally, Paul, Tyson… would you mind if I borrowed Percy for just a moment?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He put his arm around Percy’s shoulders and steered him into the kitchen. Once they were alone, his smile faded. “Are you all right, my boy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As fine as I can be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I heard stories,” his dad said. “But I wanted to hear it directly from you. Tell me everything.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So that’s what he did. It was kind of disconcerting, because Poseidon listened so intently - Percy had never really gotten used to the way how, when he was really listening, Posiedon’s eyes never left your face or really changed expression.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he finished, the god nodded slowly. “So Kronos is indeed back. It will not be long before full war is upon us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It sucks, basically.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Indeed. Unfortunately, I have other problems of my own.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The old sea gods?” he guessed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. The battle came first to me, Percy. In fact, I cannot stay long. Even now the ocean is at war with itself. It is all I can do to keep hurricanes and typhoons from destroying your surface world, the fighting is so intense.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could help you know,” Percy offered, even knowing his father would never accept. It just felt right to offer. Poseidon’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not yet, my boy. I sense you will be needed here. Which reminds me…” He brought out a sand dollar and pressed it into Percy’s hand. “Your birthday present. Spend it wisely.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A sand dollar,” Percy said, looking down at it. He was given exactly two of these from his father in his life. Once, on his fifteenth birthday, the one he had to use in the war. The second time was on his eighteenth, and it wasn’t for any particular use, just something to ‘remember who you are, even when you leave this camp behind’.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yes. In my day, you could buy quite a lot with a sand dollar. I think you will find it still buys a lot, if used in the right situation.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” he nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could’ve asked a million questions, asked for his father to stay for the rest of the party, but he knew it wasn’t possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Percy?” his mom called from the livingroom then. “The candles are melting!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’d better go,” Poseidon said. “But, Percy, one last thing you should know. That incident at Mount St Helens…The eruptions are continuing. Typhon is stirring. It is very likely that soon, in a few months, perhaps a year at best, he will escape his bonds.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Percy said. It was a stupid mistake to make twice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Poseidon raised his hand. “It is not your fault, Percy. It would’ve happened sooner or later, with Kronos awakening the ancient monsters. But be aware, if Typhon stirs… it will be unlike anything you have faced before. The first time he appeared, all the forces of Olympus were barely enough to battle him. And when he stirs again, he will come here, to New York. He will make straight for Olympus.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was just the kind of news he should’ve expected to get on his birthday, but Poseidon patted him on the back like everything was fine. “I should go. Enjoy your cake.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And just like that he turned to mist and was swept out of the window on a warm ocean breeze. It took a little work to convince Paul that Poseidon had left via the fire escape, but since people can’t vanish into thin air, he had no choice but to believe it. They ate blue cake and ice cream until they couldn’t eat any more, then played a bunch of cheesy party games like charades and Monopoly. Tyson didn’t get charades, and kept shouting out the answer he was trying to mime, but it turned out he was really good at Monopoly. He knocked Percy out of the game </span>
</p><p>
  <span>in the first five rounds and started bankrupting Sally and Paul. Percy was having horrible flashbacks of the night Piper had cleaned everyone out in poker on Leo’s twenty-first, and retreated to his room.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>When he closed the door behind him, he sighed at the darkness surrounding him -but didn’t move to flick on the lights. Laying back on his bed, he fidgeted with his camp necklace for a while. It had three beads, now - a trident, the Golden Fleece, and an intricate painting of a mze to symbolize the Battle of The Labyrinth. He thought it was nice that they called it that, instead of naming it after Kronos’s rising or something more grim.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wondered if the beads in the following years would be the same as he remembered, or if any of them might differ. Should he try to influence that? He didn’t particularly care what everyone else considered to be the biggest event of each year, but he liked the idea of changing things enough that the cause - and - effect trickled down to something as small as painted beads. It’d be a sign of accomplishment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually his gaze turned to his window, where there was one of those long rectangular plant pots in the windowsill. He’d written his mom a letter during the summer to set one up for when he got back - it currently housed a single moonlace flower and a small group of purple and white petunias. It was simple, but made him unproportionately happy for the effort it took to maintain, and he’d fulfilled his promise to Calypso to plant a garden. Now that his mind was focused on his, he got up and grabbed the little plastic cup on his dresser that he used as a watering can, and went to fill it up in his bathroom. Then he spent a little bit watering the petunias and dripping some nectar on the moonlace. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he stared at the faintly glowing flower standing apart from the rest, he thought about a lot of things. About where he’d been, and where he was now - but mostly he thought about where he was going. And no matter how far he looked ahead, no matter how many bad things he saw happening, when he envisioned the faces of his friends and family he hadn’t even met yet, Percy couldn’t help but think it’d be worth it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, overall, this actually came up a bit shorter than I originally planned it to be. Mainly because a few things I thought weren't really important enough to include, but also. It's been FOUR MONTHS of me stressing and procrastinating on this, I'm tired lol. So here you go - take this and maybe go bug me on Tumblr until I finally get started on The Last Olympian.</p><p>https://blooblu.tumblr.com/</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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